Wednesday's Child
by Dani-Ellie03
Summary: The next time Emma Swan wanted magical help, she was on her own. Because now they were stuck with a pint-sized savior who clearly had an attitude problem and a terrified but pretending not to be pre-pirate. (or, the Charming Family deals with a magical accident and does some healing in the meantime)
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Wednesday's Child  
 **Summary:** The next time Emma Swan wanted magical help, she was on her own. Because now they were stuck with a pint-sized savior who clearly had an attitude problem and a terrified but pretending not to be pre-pirate.  
 **Spoilers:** If you're current, we're good.  
 **Rating/Warning:** T, mostly for safety. Family angst/fluff, as per usual.  
 **Disclaimer:** _Once Upon a Time_ and its characters were created by Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and are owned by ABC. I'm just borrowing them but I'll put them back when I'm finished!  
 **Author's Note:** I know, I know, this trope has been done a million and one times but it's always fun, yes? I'm already having a boatload of fun with this idea, so hopefully you will, too! Even though it may not seem like it at first blush, there will be plenty of Charming Family interaction in this piece. Feedback is a writer's ice cream sundae! Enjoy. :)

* * *

"Maybe this was a dumb idea."

A mildly exasperated Regina Mills heaved a sigh. Similar statements had fallen from Emma Swan's lips a few times during the course of the morning, which was both vaguely frustrating and somewhat concerning.

Emma wasn't usually so indecisive. On the other hand, she'd never set her sights on accomplishing something so magically ambitious before. A little uncertainty was to be expected in this case, Regina supposed.

A lesson Regina had learned throughout the morning was that if she didn't quell Emma's doubts, she would have a cranky sheriff on her hands. Since a cranky sheriff would just as quickly lead to a cranky queen, Regina felt it prudent to nip Emma's uncertainty in the bud. "It's not a dumb idea," she spoke up somewhat distractedly. Her own attention was focused on rummaging through the trunk in her vault in an effort to find something – _anything_ – that would help them. "Challenging, yes. A bit too sentimental, probably, but not dumb."

Emma shot her head up from the book she'd been paging through, sudden concern swimming in her eyes. "You think it's too sentimental?"

From his position next to his wife, Killian Jones shot Regina a warning glare. Clearly he also objected to her choice of wording. Her eye-roll reflex in overdrive, Regina huffed, "Well, of course I think it's too sentimental but the gift isn't for me, is it? It's for your parents, who should own stock in Hallmark if they don't already. Sentimental is practically your mother's middle name. They're going to love it."

Emma's shoulders slumped in relief. Content now, she dropped her gaze back down to the book. Killian gave Regina a silent nod, indicating his gratitude for the way she'd soothed his wife's ruffled feathers.

Regina nodded back. She was, after all, the one who'd ruffled them in the first place.

She hadn't just been placating the savior, though. Emma's plan was indeed overly sentimental – so overly sentimental that Regina was surprised Emma had even come up with it – but her parents would indeed adore it with all their hearts.

Heaving another sigh, Regina resumed her rummaging of the trunk. A glance at her phone proved they'd been in the vault for _hours_ , which made it all the more frustrating that they hadn't accomplished much of anything yet.

She hadn't anticipated giving up her entire morning to help Emma create the perfect anniversary gift for her parents. The savior had a very specific idea of what she wanted to give them but as of yet, no one had even a hint as to how to realize said idea.

Still, Regina wasn't one to back down from a challenge. Somewhat selfishly, she wondered if helping Emma with this project would also make up in some small part for the grief Regina herself had caused Snow and David all those years ago.

Emma's project had seemed simple enough at the outset: she wanted to create a home movie. The idea had come to her after spotting her mother surreptitiously using her phone to record Emma blowing soap bubbles for little Neal in the backyard and his subsequent delight at watching them float around above his head. Where the project became difficult was that the home movie Emma wanted to give her parents was of her own childhood. Minus the video she'd recorded as a teenager with Lily, none existed.

So she'd asked Regina if there was a way to lift some of her good childhood memories and have them appear on physical media, which she could then give to her parents. She even had a short list of memories she wanted captured. There was her third grade class play in which she'd starred as Mother Goose. There was a group home outing to an amusement park when she was eleven. She wanted her parents to witness the meteor shower she'd watched with her foster brother at age six and delight in her winning her fourth grade class spelling bee. A seventh grade field trip to the Museum of Science in Boston rounded out the list.

There were other memories, too, Regina imagined. There had to be nice times Emma had lost sight of, good moments that had gotten lost in the upheaval of her life. The trick was somehow extracting those memories from Emma's head, changing the perspective so Snow and David could watch their little girl as she experienced those happy moments, and copying them to a medium that her parents could view.

Not exactly an easy feat.

"And you're certain you can make it only take the good memories?" Emma spoke up out of the blue, her tone once again unsure.

Yet another concern of Emma's was somehow tarnishing the entire project by accidentally extracting some bad memories along with the good ones. Cherry-picking the memories had seemed like a tall order at first blush but it had actually turned out to be the easiest part of the project. "Yes," Regina assured her. "The clove in the potion will guarantee only good memories will be taken. Relax, Emma."

"It'll all work out, love," Killian added. He rested his hand on his wife's shoulder and squeezed.

For once, Regina was glad for the pirate's involvement. His presence had a calming effect on Emma and surprisingly, he had given Regina the direction for this project. When Emma had explained what she wanted to do, the pirate had hesitantly reminded everyone that Emma had used dreamcatchers to watch others' memories on more than one occasion.

Regina understood his hesitance – Emma's history with dreamcatchers wasn't exactly sunshine and puppies – but she was glad he'd spoken up because the dreamcatchers were the key. All she had to do was modify the magic used to make them so that Emma's memories would remain intact once they were lifted and so that the memories could be archived on something Snow and David wouldn't need magic to activate.

Emma had brought both a blank VHS tape and a recordable DVD into the vault. If memories could be recorded onto dreamcatchers, she reasoned, then surely they could be recorded onto something a bit more modern. Regina wasn't sure that her logic fully tracked but she was willing to give it a shot.

Sometime during Regina's rumination on the magical problem in front of her, Emma had given in to her nervous energy. The book she'd been searching through lay open and abandoned as she paced the length of the vault. Killian kept a concerned eye on her but let her continue.

Which was all well and good for Killian but the constant back and forth was beginning to set Regina's teeth on edge. Emma Swan clearly needed something to do, something more than paging through a book on the off chance she would stumble across something helpful.

"Emma, you and Hook can get started on the potion for the memory extraction." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Regina winced at the sharpness of her tone. She hadn't meant to sound so annoyed.

Though the pirate shot another warning glare in Regina's direction, Emma either didn't pick up on the mounting frustration – Regina with Emma and Killian with Regina – or didn't care. She was obviously relieved just to be given something productive to do. "Sure. Just tell me what the substitutions are."

Since Emma had worked the memory extraction magic before, Regina felt comfortable filling her in on the changes to the spell. While Emma and Killian got to work, Regina continued poring over her books, trying to find any mention of recording memories onto something other than a dreamcatcher.

After searching for a few more fruitless minutes, Regina slammed the book shut. VCRs didn't exist in the Enchanted Forest; she was never going to find what she was really looking for. No, her only solution was once again modifying the dreamcatcher magic.

As she ran her eyes over her magical items in an effort to determine what substitutions would have to be made, she heard Emma ask Killian to retrieve the clove for her. The pirate crossed the vault, picked up a bottle, and returned to his wife.

It struck Regina a moment later that he'd grabbed a blue bottle.

She kept her clove in a brown bottle.

 _Oh_ no.

The next few seconds seemed to happen both in slow motion and too quickly for Regina to stop. "No, wait, not that one!" Regina cried as Emma turned the bottle upside down over the beaker.

It was too late.

The second the contents from the blue bottle made contact with the potion, the flashover occurred. Regina ducked behind the trunk as the potion exploded in a flash of light and a billow of white smoke. Hopefully Emma and Killian had heard her warning in time to duck as well.

Somehow she didn't really think so.

Regina waited for the smoke to clear before almost hesitantly pushing herself to her feet. Adding the wrong ingredient to a potion could result in a range of outcomes, from the mild to the highly undesirable. She didn't get a good enough look at what Killian had grabbed instead of the clove, which meant she had no idea what to expect when she stood to face the savior and her pirate.

And though she'd had no idea what to expect, she certainly never expected this. Her jaw dropped open in shock and she blinked to make sure she was seeing clearly.

In front of Regina stood a boy and girl, both appearing to be about ten years old. The girl's hair fell around her shoulders in blonde waves, apprehension clouding her green eyes. The dark-haired little boy darted his curious blue gaze around the vault. His shoulders tensed and he drew in a sharp breath when he realized he didn't recognize his surroundings.

 _Oh no._ No, this couldn't be happening. This could not really be happening.

The second the girl's eyes landed on Regina, she stiffened and took two steps backward. "Where am I and who the hell are you?"

Her voice seemed to draw the boy out of his shock. "Where's Liam?" he asked shakily. "Have you done something with him?"

Then again, maybe it could.

 _Wonderful_ , Regina thought in irritation. (And all right, perhaps a little panic, too.) _Just wonderful._

The next time Emma Swan wanted magical help, she was on her own. Because now Regina was stuck with a pint-sized savior who clearly had an attitude problem and a terrified but pretending not to be pre-pirate. Neither one of them seemed to have any recollection of their adult lives, which meant they had no idea who Regina was.

Or Henry.

Or anyone else in Storybrooke.

 _All right_ , she told herself, _think_. How the hell had the memory extraction potion had turned into … well, this? Asking Emma was a no-go because she was now a child who had no memory of what she'd been doing two minutes ago. (From what little Regina knew of Emma's childhood, she wouldn't believe in magic and fairy tales anyway at this age.) If Regina didn't know what had been done in the first place, she couldn't simply reverse the magic and … gods, this was a _nightmare._

Regina glanced from little Emma, whose green eyes flashed in defiance as she crossed her arms protectively over her chest, to little Killian, who just looked panicked. How was she going to explain this to these children?

Hell, never mind the children. How was she going to explain this to Snow and David?


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** You guys are amazing! Thank you so much for the reviews and follows and favorites. Hope you enjoy the next part!

* * *

Snow White paced the length of the living room while bouncing a fussy Neal on her hip. The bouncing was an attempt to calm Neal's nerves. The pacing was an attempt to calm hers.

"Did Regina say what she wanted to talk to us about?" Charming asked softly. His concerned gaze followed Snow on her journey from one end of the room to the other and back again.

Snow shook her head. "She just said that something happened when she was with Emma and Killian and showing us would be easier than telling us." A heavy sigh escaped her lips. "She swore no one was hurt but she sounded kind of panicked, Charming."

It was precisely the distress in Regina's tone that had set Snow pacing the living room. A worried parent's mind could go from zero to crisis in under three seconds and Snow couldn't help but think the worst.

Regina hadn't said that everyone was all right, just that no one was hurt. Even after Snow asked, she wouldn't put Emma or Killian on the phone. And she had insisted on driving over to the farmhouse with Killian and Emma in tow while refusing to tell Snow why they couldn't just poof there.

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

The knock on the front door thankfully interrupted Snow's spiraling thoughts. She rushed to the door, Charming hot on her heels. Since she still had a fussy baby in her arms, Charming wasted not a moment in reaching around her and pulling the door open.

On their porch stood Regina Mills, whose nerves were so shot that she was literally wringing her hands. "Now, before you say a word, just know that I will find a way to set things right."

 _Oh gods_ , Snow thought, her heart dropping into her stomach.

"Regina, what the hell is going on?" Charming demanded, his tone reflecting a combination of concern and impatience. "You've got us both thinking the worst."

Regina released a heavy sigh. "There's no easy way to do this so I'm just going to do it. Wait here. Oh, and you might want to hide that welcome mat." With that, she turned on her heel and hurried down the steps.

Charming and Snow exchanged a perplexed frown. What on earth was happening and why did they need to hide their welcome mat, of all things? Their curiosity only grew when Regina poked her head into the open back window of her Mercedes as if talking to someone.

A few seconds later, both back doors opened. A dark-haired little boy and a blonde little girl climbed out of the car. As soon as Snow's eyes landed on the girl, she _knew_.

That beautiful little girl was her baby. That precious little girl was her Emma. Snow knew it in her _soul_. "Charming," she murmured.

"I see her, Snow," he whispered, his voice reflecting the same wonder as hers. "I see her."

Oh gods, this was incredible. This … this was more than Snow could have ever dreamed. There was her baby – her little girl, her pride and joy. She had lovely blonde hair falling in waves around her shoulders, bright green eyes, Snow's chin, and Charming's nose. She was so beautiful and so precious and so absolutely _perfect_.

And then Snow came crashing back down to the ground. If the little girl was Emma, the little boy had to be Killian. Less than an hour ago, they'd been grownups. What on earth had happened?

"It doesn't work like this," young Emma was saying to Regina and oh, how Snow melted at the sound of her little girl's little voice. "I've been through this enough times to know. You can't just take me to a new house. Where's all the paperwork?"

"Like I said, I must do things a little differently than your last social worker," Regina replied with barely concealed irritation. Emma must have been arguing with her the entire trip from the vault. Regina shored up her patience as she glanced nervously from the children to Snow and Charming. "Emma, Killian, allow me to introduce you to Mary Margaret and David Nolan."

So that was why Regina had wanted them to hide the welcome mat. She hadn't revealed their Enchanted Forest identities to the children.

Poor little Killian appeared confused but he was clearly trying his best to go with the flow. "How do you do?" he asked politely.

Emma just crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Regina.

"Emma, your anger with me is no excuse for being rude," Regina chided.

The girl narrowed her eyes at Regina, heaved a sigh, and turned to face Snow and Charming. "Hi."

Both parents swallowed a chuckle. Encouraging her attitude wasn't exactly stellar parenting but her entire demeanor was just so delightfully Emma. "Hello, Killian," Charming said, holding his hand out to each child in turn. "Hello, Emma. It's nice to meet you."

As both Emma and Killian shook Charming's hand, Snow wondered how he'd managed to pull himself together enough to speak at all. Her own voice remained lost to the wonder and confusion of her baby girl and her baby girl's husband transforming into tweens. Fully aware that she had to say _something_ , she cleared her throat and shifted Neal on her hip. "It's very nice to meet you both. Why don't we all step inside?"

As she turned in the doorway to allow her visitors entry, she kept her eyes glued to Emma and Killian. It didn't take a genius to see that underneath Killian's forced politeness and Emma's attitude, they were both terrified.

Once inside the children darted their eyes around the foyer, taking in the details of the space in the way that only children could. Over their heads, the adults conducted a silent conversation. Snow and Charming were certainly owed an explanation but Regina couldn't speak freely in front of the children.

After a beat, Charming suggested, "Why don't I give you both a tour of the house? I'm sure Regina has some things to discuss with Mary Margaret, which would just be boring for the two of you."

Killian looked up at Regina, whose nod let him know it was okay to go with Charming. On the other side of the spectrum was Emma, who shot Regina one more glare before turning away from her and addressing Charming. "Yeah, sure."

Charming smiled down at his baby girl before shifting focus to his son-in-law. "Are you in, too, Killian?"

"Yes, please," the boy nodded.

"Right this way, then."

As Charming led the children into the living room to begin the tour, Snow told Regina to follow her into the kitchen. Her need to sit down had become overwhelming. The second she was sure the children were out of earshot, Snow practically hissed, "What the hell happened?"

Regina winced. A curse word leaving her stepdaughter's mouth, even one as mild as "hell," was never a good sign. "Truth be told, I'm not a hundred percent sure. We were in my vault working on Emma's anniversary present for you. Ordinarily I wouldn't tell you what the gift is but I think it's a key part of the explanation for ..." She waved her hand in the direction the children had gone, "... that. She wanted to create a kind of home movie for you out of her good childhood memories, so when I fix this and she eventually gives it to you, act surprised."

Oh, what a lovely idea for a gift! Snow's precious baby was the best daughter in the history of the universe. She nodded in acquiescence.

Regina gave her a grateful nod in return. "I asked them to start working on the potion for the memory extraction. Killian grabbed a wrong ingredient and the potion exploded, resulting in Mini-Savior and Mini-Pirate in there."

Snow took a deep breath in and held it while letting the story settle. Who knew that one wrong ingredient could do something like this? "Do they remember anything about being adults?"

"Not as far as I can tell."

"What have you told them?"

"As little as I could get away with," Regina admitted somewhat sheepishly. "Tiny Guyliner is at least from the Enchanted Forest so he understands magical transport. He's certainly figured out by now that he's in a different realm. You should have seen the expression on the poor boy's face when I started my car. Emma, though. She's from this world and she won't understand …"

Regina let the sentence trail off for a beat, then sighed. "I told her that I was her new social worker, that she was being placed with a new foster family, and that she'd fallen asleep in the car, which is why she doesn't remember the trip to Storybrooke. As you can probably tell, she doesn't believe a word of it. I know I shouldn't have lied but I didn't know what else to tell her. She would have dug in her heels if I'd said she'd been an adult ten minutes ago and she magically de-aged herself."

Snow completely understood Regina's predicament. No, her little Emma wouldn't have believed the truth. The little girl currently touring the house had never experienced magic and had never had a wish come true in her young life. A magical accident taking twenty years from her was not something she would have even entertained, never mind comprehended.

"I'm truly sorry about this, Snow. I will fix it."

Though her head was still spinning, Snow nodded again. Of course Regina would be able to fix it but in the meantime ...

Regina pushed herself up from the chair at the kitchen table. "If you'll be all right with them, I want to swing by the house and see if I can find a few old outfits of Henry's to get you through the next couple of days. Their clothes shrunk with them today but you're going to need more than one outfit apiece."

A sudden burst of panic seized Snow's heart. "Wait, you think they could be like this for a couple of _days_?"

"I'm hoping I can figure out the reversal fairly quickly but I don't know what they did and it's not as if I can ask them. It might take me a little while."

Snow shifted a calming Neal in her arms as she turned all this over in her head. Her baby and her baby's husband were suddenly a good couple of decades younger. They were going to need to be cared for and looked after for possibly days on end.

And then the fog cleared. Snow and Charming were going to get to take care of their little girl _as_ a little girl.

Oh, this opportunity was _amazing_! And confusing. And maybe a little nerve-wracking but also heartwarming.

Before either Regina or Snow could say another word, the tour group finally made its way into kitchen. Emma held Charming's right hand while Killian gripped his left. Both children appeared at least somewhat calmer, though apprehension still lingered in their eyes. As soon as they were alone, Snow and Charming certainly owed these terrified children an explanation.

"And we conclude the grand tour in the kitchen," Charming announced with a smile.

"Wow," Killian breathed, his eyes widening at all the unfamiliar appliances.

Since she'd grown up with modern kitchens, Emma simply studied the adults in turn. She was evidently still a bit miffed with Regina (the resolving of which Snow vowed to work on with her) but Charming had at least … well, _charmed_ her enough to get her to hold his hand. Her discerning gaze finally settled on Snow. "Is it really going to be just Killian and me and the baby living here? For kids, I mean."

A memory of a conversation Snow had had with Emma during the first Curse surfaced, something about some of the foster families Emma had stayed with taking in children solely for the benefits. Young Emma, then, was trying to gauge the level of involvement these new adults would have in her life.

"There is an older boy who'll probably stay with us, too," Snow allowed. Something told her that Henry was not going to want to miss out on a minute of his mom and Killian being younger than he was. "His name's Henry and he's fourteen. He's out with friends now but he'll be back later. It'll be the four of you staying here."

The girl considered that for a moment as she studied Snow's face. "How do you know him?"

Again, Snow's heart seized for the briefest of moments. This little girl would never believe that Henry was Snow's grandson but even telling a white lie was clearly not an option. As her anger at Regina proved, Emma could tell when she was being fed lies. The poor little girl had grown up with nothing but lies and judging by the way she was carefully eyeing Snow, she was looking for them.

She was trying to figure out if she could trust these new people in her life.

"He's family," Snow finally said. It was the only truth she could give her little girl.

Again, Emma considered both her words and her facial expression. Then she seemed to relax a tiny bit. "Okay."

"Okay," Snow repeated, giving her little daughter a kind smile. Tentative though it may have been, she and Charming had both made an inroad with their baby girl and it felt _wonderful_.


	3. Chapter 3

"Mary Margaret?"

The sound of Killian's soft, accented voice sent Charming's brows to the ceiling. All throughout the tour of the farmhouse, the boy had responded to questions and spoken when prompted but he hadn't once initiated a conversation.

"Yes, Killian?" Snow asked, her own surprise at the boy's sudden forwardness evident in her tone.

Now that he had her attention, however, he froze up. His nervous gaze roamed the kitchen before landing on the cabinets. The child clearly wanted something but what?

His new best friend figured it out first. "Do you have any snacks?" Emma asked Snow.

Snacks were indeed what Killian had wanted, if the grateful smile on his lips was anything to go by.

Charming and Snow shared a smile of their own. Oh, watching the children interact was just too adorable for words. "I'm sure we do," Snow assured her hungry charges. "If you two take a seat at the table, I'll tell you what we have."

Since Snow had her hands full wrangling snacks for a baby and two still-nervous ten-year-olds, Charming took it upon himself to walk Regina to the door. As soon as they were out of earshot of the children, Regina released a heavy breath. "I blew it."

"What, that?" Charming asked, nodding his head towards the kitchen to indicate the two former adults now seated at his table. "That could happen to anyone."

In any other family, his statement would have been pure sarcasm. In their family, he actually meant it.

"No, that's something that could only happen to your daughter." The tenderness lacing the former evil queen's tone softened the bite of her words. "What I meant is that I blew it with Emma. She's so angry with me because I lied to her. This may come as a shock to you – hell, it's a shock to me – but I feel terrible about it. She and I have been through so much and now it feels like we're back to square one."

Hold on, was Regina Mills actually talking about her feelings? With Charming? Would wonders never cease.

Clearly it was time for one of Charming's famous pep talks. (In his wildest dreams, he never thought he'd be giving Regina a pep talk but there was a first time for everything.) "Regina, you're not back to square one. That little girl in there? She doesn't know you. You don't have the same history with her that you do with our Emma. We'll explain that you didn't lie to hurt her and more than likely, she'll get over it. And when all this goes back to normal, Emma the adult will understand why you lied to Emma the child."

Regina let Charming's words settle for a beat then rolled her eyes at herself. "Listen to me. Ten minutes in the presence of bite-sized Emma and Hook and I'm going soft."

Sensing that Regina needed for the conversation to get back on less emotional ground, Charming smirked at her. "Your secret's safe with me."

That did it. She gave him a grateful smile, which then morphed into a smirk of her own. "Damn well better be."

Charming leaned against the doorjamb until Regina started her car and pulled out of the driveway. Then he closed the door, locked it, and returned to the kitchen and his family.

Little Neal sat in his high chair, more playing with the loose Cheerios Snow had set out on his tray than eating them. To the surprise of no one, Emma had chosen Oreos for her snack. Beside her, Killian nibbled on orange slices.

The second Emma spotted Charming, she set her Oreo down and turned somewhat suspicious eyes on her parents. "Okay, what's really going on? I know Regina was lying to us about pretty much everything."

Oh, crap. How the hell were they going to explain this? They couldn't tell the children the truth, that they had been adults less than an hour ago. That said, they did have to tell them _something_. Snow's half of their shared heart was clearly pounding just as much as Charming's was but it was well past time to give these poor children an explanation.

Snow eased down in a chair facing Emma and Killian. Taking his cue from his wife, Charming sat down beside her.

And as he sat, the reality of the situation hit Charming square in the face. Here he was, seated across from his precious baby girl, so small and so young. The pain and distrust in her bright green eyes told him of the years of heartache she'd already survived. At the same time, she was still so very Emma and it was all he could do to refrain from wrapping her in one of his bracing hugs.

And beside his precious little girl sat a just as precious Killian. He was an adorable child, all big blue eyes and dark hair and sweet, soft accent. He was also quite obviously scared. How terrifying it must have been for the poor boy to suddenly find himself in this new, alien world! This world was big and loud and filled with objects and technology that a child from the Enchanted Forest could never have imagined. No wonder he seemed so gunshy.

Oh yes, these were two children who most definitely were owed an explanation. Charming shared a glance with Snow, who told him with just a look that she would start.

"I know you're both frightened," she said, first looking at Killian and then meeting her little girl's direct gaze, "and I know you're both confused. I'm very sorry for that. The truth is that you were both involved in an accident." The children's eyes widened. "You weren't hurt," Snow rushed to assure them, "but it did affect your memory."

"Like amnesia?" Emma asked, her tone dripping with disbelief.

"Sort of. It didn't affect your long term memory but it is the reason you don't remember the accident. Regina was with you when the accident happened and she brought you here so we could look after you."

"But I don't remember Regina," Emma argued. Of course their stubborn little girl would prove to be an argumentative child. "She said she was my social worker but my social worker's name is Pamela."

"I don't remember her, either," Killian added softly.

"And she didn't have any of the paperwork and–"

"You don't remember her because of the accident," Charming broke in. Neither child appeared convinced. "I can't imagine how scary and unbelievable it must be to have strange people telling you that you don't remember things but I promise we're not lying to you." He shifted his gaze to Emma. "We don't have any proof to offer you, Emma, but you know you can trust your own judgment. We're telling you the truth."

Emma glanced from Snow to Charming and back again. She studied their faces, looked deep into their eyes. "You are telling the truth," she breathed after a beat, eyes wide in realization.

Relief washed over both Charming and Snow like a wave. Their baby girl believed them, however tentatively.

Killian, too, seemed to relax a little in the face of Emma's belief. He trusted his new best friend and if she said the adults were telling the truth, that was good enough for him.

"Now," Snow said gently, "Regina shouldn't have lied to you but as you can see, the true story is a little unbelievable. She wasn't lying to be mean or sneaky. She was just ..."

"Afraid," Killian supplied, sudden understanding coming over his features.

"Exactly. She was trying not to frighten you and she was trying to get you to safety. You can see why she would be afraid to tell you what really happened, right, Emma?"

Emma considered that a moment then shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

Snow flicked her gaze to Charming, who gave her a shrug not unlike the one their daughter's. Tentative acceptance was better than none at all. "Regina may have lied about the accident," Snow continued, "but the rest of what she told you is true. You will be staying here and we are going to be looking after you. If that's all right with you, of course."

The children, who from their perspective had only known each other for less than an hour, once again looked to each other for confirmation. After a beat, Emma nodded. Killian nodded back and then faced forward again. "It's all right with us," he said.

The heart shared between Snow and Charming soared. "Now that's what I like to hear," Charming said, smiling at the children. "You saw the guest rooms when we went upstairs. Did you each decide on a favorite?"

"Whoa, wait. We each get our own room?" Emma's eyes sparkled at the thought.

"If you want," Charming affirmed.

Emma was seconds away from saying yes when Killian made himself small in the chair beside her. The poor kid was still so frightened; Charming was going to have to make it a point to somehow find a moment alone with him so he could explain the magical aspects of this accident without Emma overhearing.

The expression on his little daughter's face changed from one of excitement to one of sheer concern as she regarded her new best friend. After a beat, she returned her attention to Charming. "No, that's okay. We can share a room."

The grateful smile on Killian's face tugged at Snow and Charming's shared heart. Their little girl had never had a room of her own and here she was, giving up the opportunity to have one because the little boy she'd suddenly found herself with had seemed apprehensive of sleeping alone in a strange place.

That Emma and Killian had so immediately formed a connection without saying much of anything to each other was not a surprise. After all, Charming had watched their love grow and blossom when they were adults. They shared True Love, just as he and Snow did. He knew better than most how deep that love ran. On some level, some base level that even magic couldn't touch, Killian and Emma must have felt that love.

They were now too young to understand that what they felt was the deepest of romantic love. They were, however, two scared children thrust into a situation they didn't understand. Even without the True Love between them, it would have made sense for them to cling to each other. The True Love simply deepened that connection, made it stronger.

"All right," Snow said, acquiescing to the children's desire to share a room. "Regina went to get you some new clothes so when she gets back, we can get you both settled. I'm sorry we didn't have everything ready for you when you arrived but we didn't know you were coming today."

Emma nodded, still watching the adults carefully as if trying to determine the truth of their words.

Charming was amazed at how deftly Snow had handled all the explanations. She'd been vague enough that the children got the idea but not specific enough to get tripped up in a lie.

It couldn't have been easy. Poor Killian would have understood the real explanation. (Or at the very least, he would have understood a magical accident. Telling him he'd been a grown man less than an hour ago probably wouldn't have been helpful.) And it sure would have helped him feel a little more at ease with his surroundings to know that what had brought him to this place was magic.

The only problem was that they could not talk about the magical aspects of the situation in front of Emma. It may have been the truth but she wouldn't believe a word of it. If they started talking about magic and realm-hopping, it would destroy the tenuous trust they'd already built with her.

The children's differing worldviews were the proverbial rock and hard place. How were he and Snow going to manage them over the next few days?

"May I ask you something?" Killian asked softly.

"Of course, bud," Charming replied, the pet name coming to him as if by instinct.

"How did I get here?"

Uh oh.

"What do you mean, how did you get here?" Emma asked. "We came here in Regina's car."

"No, I mean _here_. In this realm. I know this isn't the Enchanted Forest."

Oh no.

Charming swore his heart stopped beating. How were they going to explain this? How were they going to answer Killian without setting off little Emma's lie detector and without upsetting her with the truth?

To his shock and bewilderment, however, the expression on Emma's face suddenly shifted from one of confusion to one of gentle understanding. "Oh. Well, if you're from the Enchanted Forest, you must have come here by magic, then." She glanced up at Snow and Charming, her eyes pleading.

What she wanted them to do, Charming couldn't say.

He frowned at his wife, utterly perplexed. Their little girl, raised on her own in the Land Without Magic, could not possibly have taken the news of Killian being from the Enchanted Forest so easily, could she?

"That's right, Killian," Snow affirmed, though Charming detected befuddlement in her tone. Both children relaxed and Emma shot Snow a tiny, grateful smile.

All right, so Emma had apparently wanted Snow to agree that Killian had come here by magic.

Now Charming was even more confused. One thing was for certain: it was all the more important now to separate the children for a few minutes sooner rather than later. For one, they needed to not only fully explain the magical aspects of this to Killian but also keep him from asking all sorts of other questions that they couldn't answer in front of Emma. And for another, they needed to determine why a little girl from the Land Without Magic would want an adult to tell a child that he'd arrived in this realm by magic.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Y'all are the best readers ever! Thank you for all your lovely reviews! To answer a couple of the questions that I've gotten in the reviews: yes, little Killian has two hands, and I've plucked him from his timeline not too long after Brennan sold him and Liam into servitude. This next chapter (which certainly ended up being longer than I anticipated!) will touch briefly on Killian's timeline. Hope you like!

* * *

The chance to talk to the children separately came far more quickly than either Charming or Snow anticipated. Not long after Emma had eaten every crumb of her Oreos, she began to fidget in the chair. Killian, who was still working on his orange slices, seemed agitated as well, as if Emma's nervous energy were contagious. "Emma, is everything all right?" Snow asked her gently.

"Yeah. Can I go upstairs and pick out our room?"

A look passed between husband and wife that was equal parts amusement and concern. Their little girl didn't like to sit still and was now eager for something to do. There was the off chance, however, that her fidgeting could also be coming from something other than simple boredom.

"I think we should wait until Killian finishes his orange so you can pick out your room together," Charming reminded her softly.

"She can go," Killian broke in, lifting one shoulder up in a shrug. "I liked both guest rooms so whichever one she picks will be fine."

The children shared a smile and the adults shared a glance. This was the perfect opportunity to get the children alone for a few minutes. Without a single word spoken aloud, Charming and Snow came to an agreement.

"Come on, then, Miss Emma," Snow said with a smile as she pushed herself to her feet and lifted a sleepy Neal from his high chair. "I'll go upstairs with you and settle the baby down for his nap. Then we can decide on a room for the two of you."

As planned, Charming remained downstairs so he could explain the more magical aspects of Killian's arrival in this realm. The only problem was that he wasn't entirely sure how to broach the subject.

What, exactly, could he tell him? The boy had arrived in this world via portal, yes, but that was years ago. From Killian's perspective, one minute he was with his brother in the Enchanted Forest and the next, he was in Regina's vault with two strangers. He had no memory of the intervening centuries, no recollection of growing up, of Liam's death, of Milah's, of coming here, of finding Emma, of marrying her, or of working potions with Emma and Regina this morning.

How could Charming explain to this little boy all the heartache and the wonder that lay ahead of him?

Thankfully, Killian provided him the perfect opening. The boy finally finished his orange, pushed the plate aside, and asked somewhat shyly, "May I ask what realm this is?"

A breath of relief escaped Charming's lips. "You're in a realm called the Land Without Magic."

The boy's brow furrowed in confusion. "If I'm in a land without magic, how did magic bring me here?"

"It's kind of a long story," Charming hedged. "The accident that you were involved in with Regina this morning was a magical one and it brought you here."

Killian looked down at the table, considering Charming's words. When he looked up again, his eyes were wide and frantic. "What about Liam? Is he all right? He wasn't involved in the accident as well, was he?"

"No, Killian, he wasn't. He didn't come here with you but Liam is all right."

The boy released a heavy breath, relieved yet still sad. "I miss him."

And right then, Charming felt his heart drop into his stomach. What was he supposed to say now? Of course this terrified little boy missed his brother. Out of pure paternal instinct, Charming wanted nothing more than to assure Killian that they'd return him to Liam in a few days but he couldn't bring himself to say those words. While they would be a comfort, they were a lie.

Not that he could tell Killian the real truth, either. Liam wasn't in the Enchanted Forest anymore. He had moved on to his paradise after a reunion between brothers in the Underworld. Telling this little boy that his beloved brother had died centuries ago would be cruel.

Charming's own words to Regina came back to him then. If adult Emma would understand why Regina had had to lie to her, then surely adult Killian would understand why Charming had to lie to him right now. "I'm sure you do, buddy, and I'm sure he misses you, too."

The tiny smile that lit Killian's little face made the white lie worth it. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Charming said softly, swallowing the rest of his guilt. It felt wonderful to see the boy come out of his shell a little bit.

The timer on the stove chose that quiet moment to tone, indicating that it had come up to temperature after preheating. Apparently Snow's next choice of activity was baking cookies with the children while Neal napped; for the first time, Charming noticed the flour, sugar, baking soda, and bag of chocolate chips sitting on the counter.

Though Charming was used to the loud beep of the timer, the sound startled Killian. The poor boy darted somewhat frightened eyes around the kitchen in search of the noise. "It's all right," Charming assured him. "It's just the oven. Things are a lot different here than in the Enchanted Forest."

"Yes indeed," he deadpanned.

Charming chuckled. It was nice to see that the pirate's dry wit still lurked somewhere within the little boy. "Tell you what. How about I take you around the kitchen so I can show you what all these machines do?"

The boy smiled. "I'd like that a lot."

"Then it's decided," Charming smiled back. "There's just one more important thing I want to talk to you about first."

"What's that?"

Asking a child to keep something from another child was never an easy task so Charming decided to ease into it. "This realm is called the Land Without Magic but it's a little more complicated than that. Not only is there no magic here, people in this realm don't believe magic is real. They think it's all make-believe, like in stories."

"I think that's sad," Killian said.

"I agree. And the reason I'm telling you this is because Emma has grown up in the Land Without Magic, which means she doesn't think magic is real, either. Now, that puts Mary Margaret and me in a really tough spot because we're trying to make both of you comfortable here–"

"–but you can't talk about magic as if it's real with me without scaring her," Killian finished.

Thank heavens the boy was so astute! "Yes, exactly. I'm not saying we won't talk to you about magic. We'll answer any questions you have as best we can–"

"–I just should ask you in private."

"Right again, buddy. Do you think you can do that?"

Killian smiled. "I think I can. I like Emma. She's nice to me and I don't want to scare her. I do have one more quick question, though."

"Shoot."

"If this is the Land Without Magic, how do you know so much about magic?"

Now this was a truth Charming felt comfortable giving freely. He leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "Mary Margaret, Regina, and I are all from the Enchanted Forest, too."

Killian's eyes lit up in excitement as a grin spread across his face. For the first time since finding himself in the vault, the boy had caught a tiny glimpse of home.

* * *

While Snow gently lay Neal down in his crib for his nap, Emma watched the proceedings from the doorway of the nursery as if unsure how she fit into the equation. Sighing softly, Snow straightened and turned to her little daughter. "You can come in, if you'd like."

Emma took hesitant steps into the room.

The walls adult Emma had forged around her heart had been dismantled bit by bit over the years but in little Emma, they were still there, still being built. Snow had found it hard enough seeing her adult baby girl with her walls thrown high. Seeing her _child_ so hesitant was another thing altogether.

A sleepy Neal lifted a hand towards his big sister and babbled at her. Apparently magic couldn't touch the bond between little brother and big sister, either. "Look, he knows you already," Snow said as warmth bubbled through her.

The girl hid a smile as she reached her hand into the crib to grasp her brother's. "Good night, squirt. Have a good sleep."

It was Snow's turn to hide a smile. One more thing magic couldn't change: a sister's loving nickname for her baby brother.

The two of them crept out of the room to leave Neal to his nap. He fussed a bit when they left his line of sight but soon went quiet. After Snow eased his door closed, she turned to Emma. "All right, sweetheart, let's decide on a room for you and Killian."

The farmhouse boasted two guest rooms. The furniture from the loft in the apartment filled the larger one, mostly so that Emma – adult Emma, of course – would always feel like she had a place of her own at the new house. The furniture in the smaller room was new and more in keeping with the architecture of the house: two double beds with dark walnut headboards, dressers of the same color with simple knobs, and nightstands to match.

Emma drew to a stop just over the threshold of the smaller room, scrutinizing it with a careful eye. "That was a nice thing you did," Snow said as Emma ran her hand over the smooth wood of the dresser closest to her before making her way over to the beds, "saying that you'd share a room with Killian."

The girl shrugged somewhat uncomfortably. "I know we're not supposed to but he just seemed so scared. It's really not a big deal."

"It's a big deal to him, Emma," Snow told her gently, "and I'm sure it's a big deal to you, too. You've probably never had your own room before. Giving up the chance to have one just so Killian wouldn't be scared was very nice."

"You won't tell that we're sharing, will you? I just didn't want him to be alone."

Snow shook her head solemnly. "I won't tell, I promise."

Since there was no one to tell, it wasn't a lie.

Emma nodded before sitting down on one of the beds. She wrinkled her nose slightly and stood up again. Something clearly wasn't to her liking but she didn't say a word. She just wandered out the door and down the hall to the other guest room.

This one, she seemed more comfortable in almost immediately. A tiny smile brightened her eyes as she appraised the space. Could she somehow sense that this room was meant to be hers?

With Emma's sudden comfort came Snow's bravery. She had to ask her little girl about what had happened in the kitchen and now, with Emma relaxing a bit, seemed like the perfect time. "Emma, may I ask you something?"

"Sure." An ornate music box that had belonged to Snow in the Enchanted Forest captured her attention. The music box had taken up residence in Gold's shop following the Curse and Belle had returned it to Snow when she and Charming bought the farmhouse. For reasons she didn't quite understand, Snow had placed it on the dresser in this room. The box played a traditional Enchanted Forest tune, not one that Emma would know, but it mesmerized her regardless.

"Why did you want me to tell Killian that he had come here by magic?"

Emma closed the music box and plopped down on the foot of what had once been her bed. She bounced a little on the mattress to test it. A smile lit her face for a fraction of a second, then dropped off as she looked up at Snow. "He's pretending."

A confused Snow eased down beside her little daughter. "He's pretending what?"

"What he needs to," Emma shrugged. "I can tell he hasn't been alone very long. It's … I don't remember what it's called, when someone does something to protect themselves?"

"A defense mechanism?" Snow offered.

"Yeah, that's it. That's what pretending is. A lot of kids who were abandoned recently pretend. They pretend that their parents are spies who hid them in a different country. Or they pretend that their parents are a king and a queen who sent them away to keep them safe. Or they pretend that they were taken from their parents and the parents are out there looking for them every day. Pretending helps, at least for a little bit. It's easier than facing the truth. Right now, Killian needs to pretend. He needs to pretend he's from the Enchanted Forest and that he's been magicked away from his family."

Oh, her poor, sweet baby girl. Snow was almost afraid to ask her next question, knowing that it would be answered through her sweet Emma's own experience. "What happens when kids stop pretending?"

Emma squirmed uncomfortably. "It hurts because then they know that their parents aren't out there looking for them because their parents gave them away on purpose. It's just … easier to hurt about that when you're not also hurting about being abandoned in the first place."

Oh, how Snow longed to gather this girl in her arms and hold her until all her pain went away. She couldn't, though, not yet. This tenuous trust between her and Emma was still too new, too fragile.

Which was why she was shocked to hear herself ask, "Did you ever pretend?"

It was a question to which she didn't want to know the answer. It was a question she'd never meant to ask. It was too much: too much for her to hear and too much for this little girl to divulge to, from her perspective, a perfect stranger.

Emma appeared thrown by the question, and no wonder! She searched Snow's eyes as if she could find the reason for the question hiding in them. She must have seen something that made her comfortable, though, because after a moment, she admitted, "I was the one with the parents who were royalty. As I got older, though, I realized that was silly."

 _Not so silly at all_ , Snow wished she could tell her. _Your parents were in fact royalty who sent you away to keep you safe._

She settled for reaching out and brushing an unruly lock of hair out of Emma's eyes. "I wish you could have pretended a little longer." Hell, she wished her baby had never had to pretend at all.

The girl shrugged, her way of indicating her situation was what it was. "It's okay. Does that mean you'll help Killian pretend?"

"Of course, sweetheart," Snow assured her. Emma smiled, blushing at the pet name. "We'll help him pretend as long as he needs."

"Thanks." Emma tore her gaze from Snow's and instead ran her eyes once again over the cozy room. "You know, I have a funny feeling that in this house, he won't need to pretend very long. You and David are really nice."

That was high praise coming from her guarded baby. "Why, thank you, Miss Emma," Snow smiled. Then, to take focus off Emma's admission before it could make the girl uncomfortable, she added, "So what do you think? Have you decided on a room?"

"Yeah, this one." She tested the mattress again. "The bed is bouncier."

Snow chuckled. It was nice to know some things didn't change. "All right, sweetheart, that sounds like a plan."


	5. Chapter 5

Emma took a few moments to explore the bedroom she'd chosen for herself and Killian. After poking through the books on the shelves and examining the artwork hung on the walls, all of which Snow watched with a mother's loving eye, she drifted back over to the music box. Once again she wound it up, lifted the lid, and let the soft melody fill the room.

A tender smile tugged at Snow's lips. "You like that, don't you?"

"It's pretty," Emma replied, her voice just as soft as Snow's. "The song, I mean."

"I think it's pretty, too. The music box was mine when I was a girl and I used to play it while I was trying to fall asleep at night."

Emma allowed a little smile. "I can see where it could work as a lullaby."

How many nights would Emma have let that very same music box be her own lullaby while she was growing up a princess in the Enchanted Forest?

It was best not to think about that, Snow decided.

When the song ended, Emma closed the lid and rejoined Snow on the bed. "Can I ask why the music box is in here and not the squirt's room?"

That was actually a very good question. Why had Snow put the music box in a guest room made for her grown-up baby? It would have made more sense to place it on a shelf in the nursery where it could perform its intended task of playing a child to sleep.

After a moment, the answer came to her. The moment Snow learned she was pregnant with her precious little Emma, she'd set the music box up in her nursery. Poor Emma had never gotten the chance to use it. On some subconscious level, Snow hadn't felt right placing the music box in Neal's room. It wasn't his; it was Emma's.

Of course, she couldn't explain any of that to the little girl sitting beside her. "I guess I just wanted a little girl to have it," she said instead, smiling down at Emma while hoping the admission wasn't too much honesty for her. "I'm glad you enjoy it so much."

Though Emma didn't say a word, she returned the smile. Snow let out a soft breath of relief.

"So," Snow spoke up before the silence between them could grow uncomfortable, "now that you've picked out your room and Neal is down for his nap, I was wondering if you and Killian might want to help me with a project."

"What kind of project?"

The speed at which Emma could shift from almost comfortable to wary and on guard cut Snow to the quick. Her poor, poor little girl.

In an effort to set the girl at ease, Snow injected a gently teasing lilt into her voice. "As it happens, today I find myself with two extra children in my charge and I decided we should make a special treat for tonight's dessert. How would you like to help me bake some chocolate chip cookies?"

To Snow's shock, Emma froze.

Emma typically liked to bake. Actually, baking with her adult baby girl mostly consisted of the two of them chatting while Snow did all of the measuring and mixing and Emma sneaked wads of cookie dough when she was supposed to be dropping them onto the cookie sheets. Regardless, baking was usually a safe family activity, one that Emma enjoyed while pretending she didn't.

Little Emma, it seemed, felt differently. Snow felt like she'd somehow stepped on a hidden landmine. "Emma? Is something wrong?"

Even though there was plainly something wrong, Emma shook her head.

This poor little girl was so reticent, so hesitant to trust, so reluctant to let anyone in. And it gutted Snow more than words could express that her wariness was born from hard, brutal experience. Why should this little girl continue to let people in if all letting people in had gotten her was hurt?

And suddenly, Snow exactly how to defuse the landmine. All her poor girl needed was love and support and people she could truly rely on. The rest would come in time.

Snow turned on the bed so she was facing Emma and looked her in the eye. "Sweetheart, I don't want you to be afraid to talk to me. You can tell me anything, all right?"

Emma searched her face, looking for sincerity. This interaction was crucial, so Snow simply held her gaze. She didn't want to give the girl any reason to shy away. She wanted Emma to know that she could trust her.

Eventually, the little girl nodded slightly and set her shoulders as if preparing herself. "I'm not a very good baker," she admitted. "I've only tried a couple of times but I got in trouble each time."

Oh gods. What kind of punishments had her sweet baby endured? From what Snow remembered of the hints adult Emma had dropped before the first Curse broke, she didn't even want to contemplate it. "Well, tell you what. We can have a baking lesson instead. David and I can show you and Killian what to do and I promise no one will get in trouble."

Again, her little girl searched her face. Searched for honesty, searched for dependability. After a beat, she nodded her approval of Snow's plan. She pushed herself to her feet, and, after a brief moment of thought, held her hand out for Snow's.

That was all it took for Snow's heart to soar out of her stomach and float high in the sky. With that one little gesture, her baby had taken a huge step forward. However tentatively, she was putting her trust in Snow.

Since calling too much attention to the progress would have made Emma uncomfortable, Snow simply smiled, grasped her little girl's hand, and stood up. The two of them peeked in on Neal, who was sleeping peacefully, before heading back down to the kitchen.

When they entered the room hand-in-hand, a surprised Charming raised eyebrows at his wife. Snow smiled in silent reply. She had a funny feeling he was going to ask her the second they were alone what miracle had transpired upstairs.

"Which room did you choose?" Killian asked from his spot at the counter. Charming had clearly anticipated the baking lesson because he and Killian had retrieved the mixer, bowls, measuring cups, and cookie sheets and set them out on the counter, ready for use.

"The bigger one," Emma replied.

Charming looked up at Snow, a touched smile on his lips. Their little girl had claimed the room they'd made for her adult self as her own.

Killian grinned at her. "I knew you were going to choose that one."

"How could you tell?"

The boy shrugged and once again, Snow and Charming shared a smile over the kids' heads. There was that True Love connection again, the one Emma and Killian were now too young to understand.

"All right," Snow said in her best teacher voice as she and Emma joined Charming and Killian behind the counter. "This baking lesson shall now come to order."

Emma snickered at her tone while Killian frowned at the ingredients in front of him. "What are we making?"

"Chocolate chip cookies," Emma answered. The "duh" was implied.

"What are chocolate chip cookies?"

Oh, no wonder the poor boy seemed so lost! Chocolate chip cookies were not exactly an Enchanted Forest invention. Thankfully, Emma seemed to take the question as part of Killian's pretending.

"Chocolate chip cookies are pure deliciousness," Charming teased, making Emma smile. "Watch and learn."

And they were off. Snow put Emma in charge of the wet ingredients while Killian mixed the flour, baking soda, and salt. She showed him how to measure out the amounts needed of each ingredient with the measuring cups and spoons while Charming helped Emma figure out how to measure out three-quarters of a cup of sugar using the one-half and one-quarter measuring cups at her disposal. ("Fractions are hard," the girl huffed, much to her parents' shared amusement.)

When the time came to crack the eggs, Snow handed one to each child. "Have at it," she said, grinning to herself when the children grinned at each other.

It never failed; every child's favorite part of baking was cracking the eggs.

Killian and Emma did so with glee. Emma dropped hers in the bowl first and watched it incorporate with the sugar, vanilla, and butter. Once hers was mixed in completely, she nodded to Killian, who plopped his own egg into the bowl. "That was fun," the boy whispered to Emma.

Snow's and Charming's shared heart melted into a puddle.

As soon as Killian's egg was incorporated, Snow gave him the okay to add his dry ingredients to the bowl. "You have to do it slowly," Charming instructed a moment too late.

In his enthusiasm, Killian dumped the entire two and a quarter cups of flour into the mixing bowl. A torrent of flour billowed upwards as the poor mixer tried to incorporate everything all at once. Emma shrieked, turned off the mixer, and jumped backward all in one fluid motion. A startled Killian leaped out of the way as well but neither child was fast enough to avoid a dusting of flour coating their heads.

Charming and Snow both stifled snickers. Their snickers died when Emma turned a hesitant glance on first Snow and then Charming. Was this – or something similar – something Emma had gotten in trouble for during one of her ill-fated baking sessions?

Upon realizing that the adults weren't angry with the accidental mess and were instead amused by it, Emma cracked up laughing, which in turn set Killian off. "Is that why I needed to do it slowly?" he asked somewhat sheepishly.

"That's exactly why," Snow chuckled. "No harm done. We'll just have to mix the dough by hand a little before we let the machine take back over."

While Snow worked on getting the dough back under control, Charming reached out and ruffled Killian's hair. The action sent the flour that had settled on his head back into the air, which set the children giggling again.

Oh, how Snow would never get tired of hearing that sound.

She let Killian dump the chocolate chips into the bowl and Emma mix them in. She also pretended not to notice when Emma snagged a few chips off the top for her and Killian to snack on. (Killian liked them a lot, if his facial expression was anything to go by.)

As soon as the dough was ready, Charming taught the children how to gather the dough onto a spoon and drop the resulting wads onto the waiting cookie sheets. Once again, they pretended they didn't see Emma and Killian sneaking little clumps of raw dough here and there. (Emma was definitely the bigger culprit in that regard; Killian didn't like the gritty texture of the raw dough.)

Just as they were about to fill the last cookie sheet, Regina called out from the front hallway. "Hello? The front door was open!"

"In the kitchen, Regina!" Snow called back even though she could have simply followed the aroma of baking cookies.

The former queen entered the room carrying two kitchen trash bags filled with clothes. "Wow, look, you two have new wardrobes!" Charming exclaimed as he relieved her of the bags. "Killian, do you want to help me bring these upstairs?"

"Sure," the boy replied. He wiped his hands on the dish towel Snow had set out on the counter for the children and took one of the bags from Charming's hands.

The boys headed out of the room, Charming chattering to Killian the entire way. "Do I want to know why it appears as if these two took baths in flour?" Regina asked, arching a teasing eyebrow at Snow.

"Probably not," Snow chuckled.

Emma, who had withdrawn a little at Regina's entrance and was now eyeing her carefully, asked, "Where'd you get all those clothes?"

There was no mistaking the challenge in the little girl's question. "Some are hand-me-downs from my son," Regina answered, her tone more gentle than Snow had anticipated. "Some are new."

Wait, new? Why? Buying new clothes hadn't been part of the plan.

Upon spying the question in Snow's eyes, Regina gave a surreptitious wave of her hand. Ah, so she hadn't bought a single thing. The new clothes had come courtesy of her magic. "If there's something you don't like or that doesn't fit right," Regina continued, "we can exchange it. It's just to get you started, anyway."

The girl considered that for a moment. Then, after recognizing the honesty of Regina's answer and taking the earlier conversation with Snow and Charming into account, she nodded. "Thank you for bringing them to us."

Both Snow and Regina, who recognized a tentative olive branch when they saw it, smiled. "You're very welcome, Emma," Regina replied.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** For the purposes of this story, we can pretend that Wilby came over in the first Curse and has just been hanging out at the animal shelter this whole time, yes? O:)

* * *

A young cabin boy clearly had no use for a large and varied wardrobe. Killian's bright blue eyes widened in shock as he dumped the contents of the bag onto the bed in his new room. "This is all for _me_?"

"Looks like it, buddy," Charming replied, swallowing his own surprise. Regina must have emptied her attic of all of Henry's outfits! Jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, and pajama sets now lay in a heap on the mattress, and that didn't include the second bag containing the clothing for Emma.

 _Might as well starting at the beginning_ , Charming thought as he picked up a pair of jeans to fold. Killian observed him for a moment and did the same. He ran his hand over each item of clothing, clearly loving the feel of the Land Without Magic textiles.

"I'm sorry these aren't the clothes you're used to," Charming said.

"It's all right," the boy assured him as he folded a soft cotton pajama top. "They're a lot less scratchy than my clothes in the Enchanted Forest."

"Oh they definitely are," Charming smiled. Enchanted Forest clothing could be itchy and uncomfortable, depending on the material. "You know, you're handling this all very well. I know from experience that it's not easy to wake up and find yourself in a different world."

Killian lifted his shoulders in a shy shrug. "You and Mary Margaret and Emma and Regina are all very kind. That helps."

For about the hundredth time since Regina knocked on the door, Charming's heart melted into a puddle.

This young boy was so different from the Killian Charming knew. This boy was withdrawn and quiet, as if afraid of making waves. Though Charming didn't know much about Killian's past, he did know the boy was abandoned quite young. From the way little Killian had asked for Liam and not a parent, Charming assumed he'd already been left in his brother's care. Some internal instinct told him that, from the child's perspective, his father hadn't abandoned the boys all that long ago.

If Charming and his family could help to fill that hole in this little boy's life even just a tiny bit, this would all be worth it.

Together they made quick work of folding and putting away the new clothes. The aroma of the freshly baked cookies wafted up the stairs, setting Charming's stomach growling. "What do you say, bud?" he asked when the last item of clothing was put away. "Think you're ready to head back downstairs?"

"If I'm smelling the cookies we made, yes, please."

Swallowing a chuckle, Charming ruffled the boy's hair and led him back downstairs to the kitchen.

Snow had set a small plate of cookies on the kitchen table, where Emma was already seated and nibbling on their handiwork. Killian looked up at Snow, silently asking permission to join her. When she nodded, the boy smiled a thank you, sat down across from Emma, and grabbed a cookie.

The second the warm cookie and melted chocolate hit his taste buds, a grin lit his face. "Chocolate chip cookies are delicious!" he exclaimed.

The adults all shared a smile. This was just too cute for words. "I'm glad you like it, Killian," Snow said.

"I'd much rather eat the cookies than the uncooked dough."

Emma gave a teasingly offended gasp. "No way! Cookie dough is delicious, too. It's so good, they even put it in _ice cream_ now."

Charming bit his lip to hide a grin while Snow muffled a giggle with a cough. "That they do, Emma," Regina laughed, earning a small smile from the girl. "And now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to work."

Work was not paperwork in the mayor's office but research in the vault in order to figure out a solution to their little predicament. "Of course," Snow nodded. "Let me walk you to the door."

The children and Charming bid Regina goodbye, Killian adding his thanks for the clothes she'd brought them. After the women left the kitchen, Charming poured his little daughter and son-in-law each a tall glass of milk. He set the glasses down in front of the kids and pretended not to notice when Emma almost imperceptibly wrinkled her nose.

Adult Emma wasn't a fan of milk, either, preferring it almost exclusively in her cereal. Still, Charming was determined to give his baby girl the quintessential childhood snack of milk and cookies.

He sat down at the table, observing the children while nibbling on a cookie himself. While he couldn't deny the deep longing in his heart to see his adult baby girl and her husband again, getting to see them like this was more than he could ever dreamed.

Those early days with Emma came back to him now, those days when he had to fight to get her to let him in. He fought not by pushing or by force but with simple patience. He had let Emma come to him in her own time, all the while gently reminding her that he was her father and he loved her and he would help her in any way she needed.

And Killian … he was a man who'd desperately needed a friend. Charming had had no real intention of becoming that friend but somehow it had happened without either of them realizing it. Charming's affection for the man had grown as the love between Emma and Killian had grown and now he couldn't imagine a life without Killian Jones in it.

And seeing them now, as two small children alone in the world, Charming wanted nothing more than to protect them with everything he had.

"What are we going to do when we finish our snack?" Emma asked, startling Charming out of his reverie.

What indeed? Considering that he and Snow hadn't anticipated having to entertain two ten-year-olds today, they didn't have any activities planned. "I could take you on a tour of the farm," he said after a moment of thought. "You haven't met the animals yet!"

A suddenly interested Killian asked, "Animals?"

Emma just fixed him with a wary stare.

"We have six sheep and four chickens," Charming affirmed, "and a dog named Wilby."

The prospect of meeting a dog seemed to perk Emma up.

When Snow returned to the kitchen, Charming filled her in on the new plan. "That sounds like a wonderful idea!" she exclaimed. "And while you're meeting the animals, I can clean up after our baking lesson."

A flush of pink colored Killian's cheeks; the remnants of his accidental flour volcano still littered the counter and the floor. Snow gave him a smile to once again let him now that it was okay. Both he and Emma relaxed in their chairs.

After the children had eaten their fill of cookies, they brought their plates and glasses – empty for Killian and still mostly full for Emma – to the sink. Once again, Killian took his cues from Emma. The poor boy was trying so hard to fit in and do everything correctly. Charming wished Killian would let himself relax but the relaxation would come in time.

Once outside, Charming introduced the children to the chickens first. "Here we have Penny, Dixie, Pixie, and Henny," he said, pointing to each of them in turn.

A bright smile lit Killian's face. "Their names rhyme!"

"Yes, they do," Charming laughed. Snow had named Henny and Penny as a teasing reference to the story of Chicken Little. When Emma had heard the rhyming names, she'd christened the other two hens Pixie and Dixie, who were not chickens at all but cartoon mice she remembered from her childhood.

"They're all girls?" Emma asked now.

"Yes. We always have fresh eggs. You and Killian can collect the eggs tomorrow morning, if you want."

Both children smiled at him, indicating that they wanted. Charming smiled back and filed that activity in his memory banks for the morning.

After the children had properly met the chickens, he walked them over to the sheep pen. "And here we have Daisy, Ash, Iris, Linden, Basil, and Holly. Three boys and three girls."

"They're all named after plants," Emma pointed out somewhat unnecessarily.

"Very good," Charming smiled. "They came to us with those names and we didn't want to change them since sheep will answer to their names."

Emma nodded in understanding. "May we pet them?" Killian asked.

"Sure thing. They're very gentle."

While the children reached through the split rail fencing of the pen to pet the sheep, Charming whistled for Wilby. The dog responded to his master's call and trotted over to them from the far end of the yard. The second Emma spotted him, her eyes lit up. "Is that Wilby?"

"Yes indeed."

Emma held her hand out for Wilby to sniff. When the dog nuzzled his head against her hand, she knelt down on the grass to pet him. The dog leaned into the petting for a beat before resting his front paws on Emma's thighs and planting a big sloppy lick on her cheek. She giggled, a sweet sound that made Charming's heart soar.

"Can we take him to the yard to play?" Emma asked, still giggling between vigorous dog licks.

"Go for it," Charming laughed. Emma and Killian ran off into the yard, laughing in delight when Wilby playfully chased after them.

 _Those kids are going to tire that dog out before too long_ , Charming thought happily. He could stand there and watch them play all afternoon but he needed to formulate some kind of plan for when Wilby was done. The kids were sure to still have plenty of energy.

Charming racked his brain and continued to come up empty. Before he had the chance to get frustrated, though, he heard someone calling his name. "David!"

He glanced over his shoulder to find Henry crossing the yard.

 _Oh_ no _._ Charming's frantic gaze darted between his approaching grandson and the playing children. Did Henry know yet? If he didn't, the poor boy was going to be in for quite the shock. It wasn't every day one came home to find that one's mother and stepfather had turned into preteens.

Thinking quickly, Charming dashed over to his grandson. "Listen, Henry, before you get any further into the yard–"

"I already know, Grandpa," he said softly. Charming let out a breath of relief and realized belatedly that of course Henry already knew. He'd called him by his name to get his attention and had only called him Grandpa when he was sure Emma and Killian couldn't hear him. "When Mom called me a little bit ago to ask where I'd put some old clothes, she told me why she needed them. Plus I saw Gramma before I came out here. I couldn't wait to come see them!"

Charming smiled at the giddiness swimming in his grandson's eyes and led him closer to the children. Henry inhaled sharply at the sight of poor Wilby chasing his little mother and tiny stepfather around the yard. "Oh my God," he murmured, slapping a hand over his mouth to muffle a thrilled giggle. "They're so cute!"

"Don't let either of them hear you say that," Charming snickered. Henry had a point, though. Little Emma and little Killian were adorable, especially now that - for the moment at least - they were simply having fun being kids.

Killian spotted Henry first. He stopped in his tracks at the sight of a new face, causing Emma and Wilby to almost crash right into him. The children whispered to each other for a beat before heading over to Charming and Henry.

Now that he could see them up close, poor Henry couldn't seem to find his words. His jaw dropped open as his gaze darted from his mom to his stepdad and back again. "Emma, Killian, this is Henry," Charming said, filling the silence with introductions for the children's benefit. "He's the other boy who's staying with us."

"Hello," Killian said somewhat shyly.

"Hi," Emma said.

Finally, Henry found his voice. "It's nice to meet you."

"We're playing in the yard with Wilby," Killian explained, unaware that Henry had been watching them for a little while. "Do you want to play with us?"

The expression on Henry's face changed from one of shock to one of excited amusement. The boy was evidently thinking about all the fun he could have with his mother and stepfather now that they were younger than he was.

Henry glanced from an out of breath Emma to a clearly exhausted Wilby, who'd flopped down at Emma's feet. "That sounds like fun but I think Wilby's tired."

Wilby whimpered as if in agreement.

All four of them chuckled. "I know what we can do instead, though," Henry continued. "Who wants to play video games?"

"What are video games?" a perplexed Killian asked.

"Do you have _Super Mario Kart_?" a suddenly excited Emma asked at the same time. "The last group home I was in had it and I could do Rainbow Road without falling off!"

Charming and Henry both grinned. Henry was going to relish introducing Killian to video games and racing Emma was clearly going to present a challenge. Oh, yes, video games were officially a go.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** This is one of those chapters that every time I tried editing it down, it grew instead. Oops? Also, because I feel like I haven't said it in a while: you guys are fantastic. :)

* * *

While her family was outside, Snow returned her kitchen to its pristine, sparkling glory. Flour no longer covered the floor and all the baking gear was washed, dried, and put away. She had just finished up wiping down the counter when the back door opened and her husband, three children, and a dog all bounded into the house. "It might take me a few minutes to hook up the Super Nintendo," Henry said to the children, "but I know we have _Super Mario Kart_ somewhere."

Ah, so they'd decided on video games for their next activity. Henry's choice, no doubt. Thank heavens Storybrooke's technology was still somewhat backwards! The Super Nintendo was likely the newest video game console little Emma knew. Anything more advanced than that would have brought up too many questions.

A loving smile on her face, Snow grabbed the baby monitor from its perch on the kitchen table and followed her family into the living room.

"I still don't know what a video game is," Killian reminded everyone.

How did one explain video games to a child from the Enchanted Forest who had never even watched television before?

Luckily, Emma came to the rescue. "They're like interactive cartoons," she said as she plopped down on the floor in front of the TV. When Wilby made himself comfortable on his stomach beside her, she slung her arm over the dog's back and ran her hand through his soft fur.

It was all Snow could do not to melt into a little tiny puddle right there on the spot.

The dog's relative ease with Emma was somewhat surprising. Was there some recognition on Wilby's part that even though she was younger, she was still Emma? After all, the dog knew Emma, knew her scent. Would she still be familiar to him even though she'd lost twenty years in the span of a morning?

Either that or the dog recognized just how much this lonely little girl longed for companionship and was living up to his title of man's best friend.

"What's a cartoon?" Killian asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Cartoons are drawings that move," Henry explained. Since his attention was mostly focused on connecting the AV cables to both the console and the TV, he didn't elaborate.

"How do drawings move? I thought there was no magic here."

"It's not magic," Charming chuckled. "Henry, you once made a flipbook for a school project, didn't you?"

Henry abandoned the video game for a beat to grin at his grandfather. "I did! I think it's in the closet in the guest room with my old art stuff."

"Perfect. I'm going to get something to show you how drawings can move, all right, Killian?"

When the still confused boy nodded, Charming headed upstairs to search the closet. Snow, on the other hand, made herself comfortable on the couch and simply watched the children.

Henry kept tossing little amused glances at both Killian and Emma, clearly delighted by the prospect of entertaining his suddenly younger mother and stepfather. Both Emma and Killian seemed a bit more relaxed, though whether that was due to the presence of another child or if they were simply feeling more settled in general, Snow couldn't guess. She'd take it, though. She wanted them both to feel comfortable here. She wanted them both to thrive here.

She wanted them both to know what real love felt like. It was heartbreakingly obvious that these poor children had missed out on a lot of love for a long time. Accidental though it may have been, this time with them being little … it could be so good for them.

It could be so good for _everyone_.

By the time Charming returned, homemade flipbook in hand, Henry had hooked the console up and inserted the game cartridge. Since they were going to have to show Killian what a video game was, Henry handed Emma one controller and kept the other for himself.

"All right, Killian," Charming said as he crouched down beside the boy, "look at this. Each of these pictures shows a little boy with a ball, see? In some of the pictures, the ball is in his hands, in some of them the ball is in the air by his legs, and in some of them it's on the ground."

"And then the ball gets higher again in each picture after it hits the ground," Killian pointed out.

"Exactly right. Now, watch what happens when I flip through the pictures really quickly."

The boy's jaw dropped open. "He's bouncing the ball!"

Emma, who'd leaned over to watch the demonstration, turned to Henry, her eyes wide in wonder. "You _made_ that?" Henry nodded proudly. "Awesome."

Henry swallowed a snicker as his cheeks flushed a light shade of pink. "Thank you. And as for video games, Killian, this controller lets us tell the drawings what to do. It'd be like if you could somehow steal the ball away from the boy as he's bouncing it."

Although he now understood animation, if only in the vaguest sense, poor Killian still seemed a bit at sea with the concept of telling drawings what to do. "Is it all right if I watch you and Emma before I try to make the drawings move?"

"Absolutely," Henry assured him. "And don't worry if you can't get the hang of it right away. It can be really tricky at first."

"All right, I'll try to remember that," Killian said solemnly.

With the demonstration now over, Charming settled on the sofa with Snow. He grasped her hand and she threaded their fingers together, both of them content to sit and watch the children play.

Killian let out a gasp of surprise when Henry turned on the television. A live action movie of some kind flickered on the screen, though it was not one Snow recognized. The amazed expression on Killian's face indicated that he was bursting with questions but he didn't – or couldn't – say a word.

A beat later, Henry switched the TV input so that it picked up the feed from the Super Nintendo instead of the cable box.

It didn't take long at all for the kids to get wrapped up in the game. Emma had insisted on playing in Grand Prix mode so that they could race each other as well as the six computer-controlled players. She certainly had a good handle on the game but Henry was a bit older and a bit more experienced and thus a bit better. The tiny savior was giving him a run for his money, though; they traded first and second place what seemed like every few seconds.

Killian observed the entire activity through wide, inquisitive eyes. Every so often, his gaze would dart from the screen to the controllers in Emma's and Henry's hands and then back again, as if he was trying to work out how their smashing of the buttons on the controller made the little cartoon go-carts … well, go. Emma's little exclamation of "Aww, man!" every time Henry pulled ahead of her sent the boy into soft giggles but mostly he just sat and drank it all in.

When Henry and Emma were in the midst of the second race in the five-course circuit, Charming rested a hand on Snow's knee. Without a single word spoken between them, she understood that he wanted to talk to her without an audience.

Snow nodded her agreement. The two of them hadn't had a child-free moment together to process any of the confusing but wonderful events that had happened since Regina knocked on their door. Now, with the kids wrapped up in the video game, seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Snow cleared her throat to capture the children's attention. "We're going to the kitchen to get something to drink. Does anyone want anything?"

Henry and Killian both requested a glass of water. Emma remained silent, making herself small and tucking herself further into Wilby's side. In response to Emma's shifting mood, a concerned Killian inched closer to her as if attempting to comfort her with his presence.

Snow's heart clenched in her chest. Sudden tension radiated from Charming as well. What had she said wrong? How could something as simple as asking after everyone's choice of beverage cause her baby to withdraw?

And in one gut-wrenching moment, she understood. Since the children had arrived, they'd been in the constant company of at least one adult. It wasn't the drink that had upset Emma. It was the prospect of being left alone.

Snow caught and held her little girl's gaze. "I promise we'll only be gone a few minutes, sweetheart."

Emma once again searched her eyes. Searched for certainty, searched for sincerity. Searched for signs that it was all right to let her guard down a little more. And just like every other time she'd gazed into her mother's eyes, she must have found what she'd been searching for. "Okay. I'd like a water, too, please."

Both parents let out breaths of touched relief. Their little Emma _believed_ them. "Three waters," Charming noted. "I think we can remember that."

A still somewhat nervous Emma turned back to the game and found, to her dismay, that she had fallen to eighth place. "Aww, man!" she cried.

"It's only the second lap," Killian informed her. "You can catch up."

As Snow and Charming stood to head into the kitchen, Emma's attention once again wandered away from her race. She eyed the adults as they exited the room, a worried expression clouding her little features. Snow gave her a (hopefully) comforting smile and held her hand up, palm out, to silently reiterate that they'd only be gone five minutes.

Emma gave her a tiny trusting smile in return.

That tentative trust warmed Snow's heart and she was bound and determined not to break it. She and Charming would have to talk fast.

Prince Charming apparently needed no instruction because he started speaking the second they were out of earshot of the kids. "This is _incredible!_ I never thought we'd get this chance, Snow. I never thought we'd get the chance to even see our little girl, never mind get to know her and take care of her."

"I didn't, either," Snow admitted. How could they? Nothing could rewind time and though magic could do some amazing things, she hadn't known before today that magic could bend time like this. "She's absolutely precious, Charming. She's more than I could have possibly dreamed. I have no idea how I've managed to keep myself from gathering her in my arms and giving her all the hugs I never got to give her."

The longing in their shared heart made it abundantly clear that Charming felt the exact same way.

"And poor Killian!" Snow continued. "Emma said upstairs that she could tell he hasn't been alone very long. I don't know much about his past but I do know that he was abandoned, too." She looked up at her husband, the unshed tears in his eyes mirroring her own. "As I watched them, something came to me. This is our opportunity to do some real healing, Charming. Those two little kids are so hurt and so scared. They need love and we can give it to them. We can give them both some good 'childhood' memories. We can take care of them and play with them and _love_ them."

She stopped there only because talking around the lump in her throat had become too difficult. Charming instantly gathered her into a hug. He didn't say a word, just held her. Her eyes closed against his gentle comfort as she let out a shuddering breath.

Once she'd reined her emotions back in, she stepped out of the embrace and gave her husband a watery smile. "So are you up for raising our pint-sized little girl and her just as tiny husband for the next few days?"

"Oh, Snow, of course I am," he replied, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "I completely agree with you. I know this was an accident but it's the best gift we could have received. For us _and_ for them."

"Funny you should mention 'gift.' Emma was trying to give us an anniversary gift when she did this." From the bewilderment in his eyes, she gathered that Regina hadn't told him this part of the story. "Regina said Emma was trying to make us a home movie of her childhood memories but the potion went wrong. Instead of childhood memories, we got two small children."

Pure love for their baby girl shone in Charming's eyes. "What a touching idea for a gift!"

"I agree but Regina said she wanted it to be a surprise."

"I'll act surprised," Charming chuckled.

Snow smiled up at her wonderful husband. Nothing was going to ruin the gift their little girl had worked so hard for and nothing was going to ruin the accidental gift they'd gotten instead.

Their emotions settled for the time being, Charming retrieved the glasses from the cabinet while Snow took the water pitcher from the fridge and the ice cube tray from the freezer. She poured five glasses of ice water, which she and Charming carried back into the living room.

The players had shifted during their conversation. Emma no longer had a controller and was instead lying on the floor with her head resting lightly against Wilby's side. The dog, who did not at all seem to mind doubling as the little girl's pillow, lay still with his eyes closed and his tail swishing across the floor in a slow wag.

Henry was in the midst of trying to teach Killian how to use the controller to make the character on the screen move to his commands. He'd chosen the single-player time trial option for Killian so the boy could get a feel for the mechanics of the game without the added pressure of racing against another player or the computer. Still, the boy seemed to be struggling to make his fingers press the proper buttons at the proper time.

"Who won the Grand Prix?" Snow asked, smiling at the children.

The tension in Emma's little body relaxed when the adults returned as promised. "Henry did. I came in second place, though!"

"Great job, kiddo," Charming said proudly, making Emma blush. Second place against a fourteen-year-old and six computer-controlled racers was nothing to sneeze at. "And how are Killian's lessons going?"

"Video games are hard," Killian admitted. Everyone swallowed chuckles.

"You'll get the hang of them," Henry assured the boy.

"I know I will." Killian smiled and, in an unintentional echo of what Henry had once said to him in another world, added, "I have a good teacher."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Daddy Charming/Mama Snow/wee Emma time ahoy! I couldn't help myself. O:)

* * *

"I know it wasn't exactly the best idea to let them sit in front of the television this long," Snow murmured to her husband, "but look at them, Charming."

Oh, he was looking. He couldn't stop looking. His loving gaze took in every single detail of the scene in front of him. Henry's barely concealed wonder as he played with his tiny mother and stepfather. The sheer pride on little Killian's face when he finally won a race. The amused smile brightening little Emma's eyes at the teasing conversation that had sprung up during the game.

"Sometimes it's all right to let children while away the afternoon in front of a video game," he agreed just as softly, "especially when it results in the expressions on their faces."

To everyone's surprise, _Super Mario Kart_ had carried the children through the rest of the afternoon. Snow and Charming stayed in the living room with them, enjoying their spirited running commentary on the races. When Neal woke from his nap, Snow let him crawl around the living room and whichever child didn't have a controller in his or her hand occupied the baby instead.

It was a relaxing afternoon filled with gentle togetherness, something both little Emma and little Killian sorely needed.

Dinnertime, however, was fast approaching. A reluctant Charming caught his wife's equally reluctant eye. Neither of them wanted to leave the room but they would have four hungry children on their hands soon and dinner wouldn't cook itself.

As one, they stood. Since Emma had balked at being left earlier, Charming decided to announce their plans. "We're going to get dinner started."

"Sounds good to me," Henry said without looking away from the television.

Killian, who was currently trailing Henry by two spots in the third race of the circuit, looked over his shoulder at the adults for a split second. "Me too!"

A soft smile tugged at Charming's lips. The boy was having too much fun to worry about the adults leaving the room. Which, in all honesty, was just as it should be.

Little Emma wasn't nearly as comfortable with the plan as the boys. She sat up a little straighter next to Wilby, her nervous gaze darting back and forth between Charming and Snow. The quiet panic on her face shattered Charming's heart. His poor little girl, so scared of being alone yet so hesitant to let anyone in.

The worst part was, they'd already lived through this once. Back when the first Curse broke, Emma had struggled with the same issues. She hadn't wanted to be alone anymore but she'd feared letting anyone get too close lest they disappoint her like everyone else had. The fear of love going away had made her afraid to love and afraid to let herself be loved.

It had taken every single paternal instinct Charming had in his body to silence his inner overprotective dad side, which had simply wanted to wrap her in the tightest hug imaginable and never let her go. Pushing wasn't what she'd needed, though. She'd needed to learn to trust them and to accept their love at her own pace.

It had been heartbreaking enough watching her struggle as an adult. It was soul-crushing watching her struggle as a child.

Just like when the first Curse broke, Charming wanted nothing more than to gather his little girl in his arms and hold her until she understood just how much she was loved. Just how much she was _cherished_. But just like when the first Curse broke, it was too soon for that kind of contact. His little girl was so hurt and so gunshy that he once again had to let things unfold at her pace and trust that she would come to them when she was ready to let them in.

That didn't mean, however, that he and Snow couldn't gently help the process along. "Would you like to help us, Emma?" he offered, injecting his voice with a nonchalant lilt to calm his little daughter.

The conflict was written across Emma's face. She did want to help but was still unsure about getting too close to them. Snow smiled at their baby girl in an effort to set her at ease. "We'd love the company."

That got her to smile a little bit. "Okay," she said as she pushed herself to her feet. Wilby lifted his head, ready to go with her if needed. Smiling, she rubbed his head and crouched down to whisper in his ear. "You can stay here with Killian and Henry. I'll be okay."

Oh, talk about heart-melting! Charming shared a tender glance with Snow, the love shining in her eyes surely mirrored in his own.

As parents and daughter headed to the kitchen, Charming took a leap of faith and reached down for Emma's hand. She took it without a second thought. His heart soared and some paternal instinct he didn't quite understand led him to stroke his thumb along the back of her hand. She smiled up at him and for a few brief moments, he was walking on air.

Once in the kitchen, she let go of his hand and instead rested her elbows on the counter. "What are we going to have for dinner?"

"Hmm." Snow made a show of pretending to think over her menu options, which amused her little daughter. "Does spaghetti sound good to you, sweetheart?"

Spaghetti was one of adult Emma's favorite meals. Clearly Snow was banking on little Emma feeling the same. And if the smile on the girl's face was any indication, she did. "Spaghetti sounds great."

"All right, Miss Emma," Charming said as he hefted a stock pot into the sink to fill, "have you ever made spaghetti before?"

The girl sadly shook her head. That decided it, then. Both her culinary inexperience and her sadness were going to be remedied this very moment. "Would you like to learn?"

"Yes, please," she smiled, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

And so began another cooking lesson. After eliciting a promise that she would never try to cook unattended, Charming and Snow showed her how to prepare the meal, from heating the sauce through in a pot while the water boiled to seasoning the water to stirring the pasta to keep it from clumping together.

"You're doing great, kiddo," Charming said after she (very carefully) slid the frozen garlic knots into the oven to bake.

"Thanks."

Only after she'd closed the oven door did Snow take a chance and lightly sling her arm around her little girl's shoulders. "One day, sweetheart, we'll have to teach you how to make spaghetti from scratch."

The girl blinked in confusion. "From scratch?"

"You've never had homemade pasta?" Snow asked. Emma shook her head. "Well, we definitely have to change that! It's actually not hard to make. All you need is eggs, flour, water, and some time."

"And a broom," Charming added, "because making homemade pasta can get messy."

"Messy like Killian's cookies?" Emma asked through a light giggle.

"Exactly right, kiddo," Charming laughed. "You thought Killian's puff of flour was messy? Wait until you have to sweep up after making spaghetti. The flour gets everywhere and the dough is sticky." He gave an exaggerated wrinkle of his nose, once again making the girl giggle. "But it's fun."

"Could we make it tomorrow?"

"We'll see," Snow chuckled, her heart leaping for joy at the girl's enthusiasm.

Emma smiled and then let them show her how to tell by a quick taste test whether the pasta was done. Since adult Emma didn't like her pasta al dente, it was no surprise that little Emma didn't, either. "Some people really eat it like that?" she asked after trying a noodle. "Spaghetti shouldn't be crunchy."

(The noodle wasn't exactly "crunchy" but Charming understood her point.)

When it came time to strain the pasta, Charming instructed Emma to stand back so she wouldn't get burned. "And this is where you get a quick but refreshing facial," he teased as steam billowed up from the colander.

Emma chuckled and watched intently as he transferred the pasta from the colander to the serving bowl and tossed it with the now-heated sauce. As he set the serving bowl on the table, she said something that surprised him. "I like that you guys call me kiddo and sweetheart. No one's ever given me special names before."

It was a confession that seemed to come out of nowhere. Snow didn't appear as thrown, however, and after a moment, Charming realized why. Adult Emma had a tendency do the same thing: wait until she was comfortable before saying what was really on her mind.

Since this was the first time his little daughter had opened up to him, what he did next would be crucial. _Don't blow this_ , he thought, and there again was that paternal instinct telling him exactly what to do.

He crouched down in front of her and took her hands in his. Surprisingly, she didn't pull away. "I'm very sorry no one's ever given you a pet name before, Emma. You're a special little girl and I hope that someday you'll understand just how amazing you are."

She looked deep into his eyes, searching them the way she'd searched Snow's. Searching for signs that it was okay to let him in, too. Finally, she said, "It's okay. Things are different now, aren't they? _You're_ different. You both are."

Different from the other adults she'd known in her life, Charming assumed, and he nodded. "Yes, kiddo, we are."

She smiled. "I can tell."

Once again, he longed to pull her into a hug but it was still too soon. Hell, it was breakthrough enough that she was letting him take her hands! He settled for giving her a watery smile in return. "I'm glad you can tell." Then, before the contact had the chance to make her uncomfortable, he released her hands and stood up straight.

When Emma grabbed the plates to set the table, Charming exchanged a tender glance with his wife. Tears brimmed in her eyes, loving tears from observing the moment father and daughter connected, even if daughter was unaware of the true nature of their relationship.

Charming felt every inch of the depth of that connection he'd just shared with Emma. He'd gotten through to his baby girl and had let her know that she had nothing to fear from them. That they wouldn't leave her like everyone else had. That she was theirs forever. It was such a gravely important moment and yet one that left him lighter than air.

The three of them set the pasta, extra sauce, and garlic knots on the table and called for Henry and Killian to turn off the game and come to the dining room. The boys bounded into the room while Charming was pouring their drinks, Wilby on their heels. Henry passed Neal to Snow, who got him settled in his high chair as the kids took their seats at the table.

Charming's heart warmed when Wilby settled under the table at Emma's feet. The dog didn't typically join the family for dinner, which led Charming to believe that he was sticking close to Emma because he could sense that she needed his presence. A lost lamb, physically different from those the dog usually tended but no different emotionally.

From the glistening of Snow's eyes, it was clear that she'd come to the same conclusion. "All right," Snow said, an emotional tremor in her voice the only outward indication of her near tears, "everyone dig in."

Killian eyed the meal as if unsure what to make of it.

"It's spaghetti and garlic bread," Emma said, shooting the boy a smile to set him at ease. "You're going to _love_ it."

"You're sure?" he asked her softly.

She nodded. "Totally sure."

At first poor Killian couldn't figure out how to get the long noodles on his fork but he copied Emma's motion and twirled his fork on the side of his plate to gather the spaghetti. The second he popped the noodles into his mouth, his eyes brightened. "I like the food in this realm a lot!" he exclaimed once his mouth was no longer full.

"We're glad you like it, buddy," Charming laughed.

"You have to try the bread, too," Emma said as she snagged a garlic knot from the serving platter and dropped it onto the edge of Killian's plate. "It's _so_ good."

He took another tentative bite and then grinned. "This _is_ really good!"

Emma smiled at him. "Told you."

As dinner continued and conversation sprung up, Charming took in every detail, his heart full. Just as Snow had said earlier, this time with Emma and Killian being little was good for everyone. It hadn't even been a full day yet and these two lonely and abandoned children were enjoying a family meal and having fun just being together.

By the time Regina figured out how to return them to their adult selves, they would have more memories just like this to look back on, bright spots in otherwise hellish childhoods. These two children should know how it felt to have love and support and comfort. They deserved that much; _every_ child deserved that much. And Charming vowed that he and Snow and Henry would show them exactly how it felt to have a loving family.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** To Kelly: Thank you for taking the time to write your extensive review! To address your concrit: I know that in a lot of my stories, no drama really happens. My goal with my stories is to give this little family those moments of quiet togetherness that the show never made time for. It's to give them those days of mundane family activities – playing games together, having loving conversations, watching movies, baking – because they've never had them. The show threw plenty of drama at them; I want to help them reclaim the family moments they missed because for me, a way for them to heal those wounds is the simple act of being together. Sometimes allowing the characters to process their emotions and letting them heal is drama enough. And frankly, I've also found when I write the more plot-y pieces, I don't get the same reader response to them. Yes, I write because I enjoy writing but I share my stories because I hope other people will enjoy reading them. It's hard to motivate myself to spend my limited writing time on a story it feels like no one wants to read. As for dropping in other characters, I write the characters I like. I'll pull in other characters if I need them for plot purposes but part of the fun of fanfic for me is that if I want to focus a story on just the Charmings or just Captain Swan, I can. I fully understand that my style is not for everyone, though! :) If you'd like to discuss this further, please feel free to PM me.  
To everyone else: Long chapter today because it kind of all just came out on its own. Oops?

* * *

The activities of a farm family winding down for the night filled the hours after dinner. The children took Wilby outside to wrangle the sheep into their pen while the adults cleaned the kitchen and dining room after their meal. After Snow had given Neal a bath and changed him into his pajamas, Charming called the children, who were running around the yard with Wilby at their heels, in for their own baths and showers.

The instant hot water from the tap fascinated Killian so much that Emma gladly offered him first dibs on the bathroom. The boy spent far more time than necessary in the tub, adding occasional splashes of hot water when the bath started to cool.

The rest of the family crowded into the nursery for Neal's bedtime routine. After all the activity with his new playmates, the exhausted baby didn't even make it through one reading of _The Poky Little Puppy_. Snow finished the book anyway, mostly because of the little girl sitting at her feet. She couldn't pass up the opportunity to read both of her babies a bedtime story.

After the family gave Neal good night kisses and turned out his overhead light, Henry excused himself to make a phone call to Regina. Hearing her stepmother' name reminded Snow of one very important thing. "Oh, Emma, we still have all those clothes to go through! You're going to need pajamas in a little bit so we should do it now."

"New pajamas sound nice," the girl smiled.

Mother and father led their little girl into her chosen bedroom. She plopped down on the bed that had once been hers while Charming opened the bag and emptied it onto the mattress. Her eyes widened at the amount of clothing now piled in front of her. "This is all for _me_?"

"Killian said the exact same thing," Charming said, his loving tone tinged with sadness for these children who'd never had much of anything. "Yes, it's all for you, kiddo."

All of the clothing, which Regina had magically conjured into existence, was in keeping with adult Emma's fashion sense. Jeans, t-shirts, and sweaters made up the bulk of the pile, along with some shirt-and-pants pajama sets.

"Wow," Emma whispered as she grabbed a black sweatshirt with small pink polka dots off the top of the pile and held it to her chest. She looked down, smiled, and folded the shirt.

With the three of them working together, the clothes were all folded and tucked into the empty drawers of the dresser in record time. Emma held back a pajama set of lavender cotton imprinted with little white penguins on skis to wear to bed.

Snow and Charming shared a smile. Their little girl was going to look _so_ cute in those.

Killian finally emerged from the bathroom dressed in a pair of blue plaid pajamas and his hair still dripping. "I hope you left enough hot water for me!" Emma teased as she rushed off to take her shower, pajamas in hand.

"It can run out?" the boy asked, turning a perplexed frown on the adults.

"The water is heated by a big tank," Charming gently explained. "Yes, it can run out if all of the water in the tank is used before more can be heated but don't worry about it. She was just teasing you."

The boy let out a breath of relief.

A drop of water fell from his bangs and caught on his nose. "Come here, Killian," Snow chuckled, "let's get you dried off a little bit."

Figuring the blow-dryer was likely too loud a piece of technology for the boy, Snow settled for towel-drying his hair. Though the boy's locks were still damp, at least they no longer dripped onto his ears and down the back of his neck. "Is that better?"

"Yes, thank you."

He turned around to take the towel from her, a hesitant expression on his little face. "Is everything all right, Killian?"

"Yes," he answered, though it was clearly a lie.

A troubled glance passed between husband and wife. Without a word between them, they decided to wait the boy out. Just like with Emma, they had to trust that Killian would open up to them when he was ready.

Thankfully their grandson came to the rescue, choosing that moment to enter the room with a deck of cards in his hand. "Who wants to play cards before bedtime?" Henry asked, smiling right at his little stepfather.

Henry's presence was like magic. Killian perked up considerably, returning Henry's smile. "That sounds like fun."

"I thought it might. Did you decide which bed you want? We can play on your bed while we wait for Emma to be done with her shower."

A flicker of uncertainty flashed in the boy's bright blue eyes. "I … I'm not sure. I'm used to sleeping in the crew's quarters."

All of a sudden, the boy's earlier hesitation made sense. Poor Killian had been thrust into a situation that was so vastly different from his life experience that the mere idea of a spacious bedroom was new to him.

Henry nodded and thought a beat before plopping down on what had once been his daybed in the loft. "How about this one, then? It's got to be about the same size as your bunk in the crew's quarters, right?"

Killian tentatively sat down on the edge of the daybed with Henry, examining the mattress as if taking mental measurements. "I think it is," he finally admitted.

"Then this sounds like it should be your bed, young sir Killian," Charming said, injecting his voice with a teasingly reverent tone that made Killian giggle.

"I think it should," the boy agreed, smiling.

"There, now that's settled," Henry said, shifting on the mattress to sit cross-legged facing Killian. "And you want to know something else? I also have a surprise for both you and Emma."

"Ooh, a surprise? What is it?"

"If I tell you, it won't be a surprise, now, will it?" Henry laughed.

Killian gave him a sheepish smile. "No, I guess not."

"You'll find out soon. Now, who's up for some card games?"

Charming joined the boys on the bed and Snow simply watched, a tender smile on her face, as Henry and Charming taught Killian the finer points of Go Fish.

When Emma returned to the bedroom after her marathon shower – though she didn't spend quite as long in the steamed-up bathroom as adult Emma would have – her hair was also dripping wet, generating dark wet splotches on the shoulders of her PJ shirt. "Ooh, can I play?" she asked upon spying the card game already in progress.

"Not so fast, little miss," Snow laughed as she took the towel from her little girl's hand. "Let's get the shower out of your hair first."

For the second time that evening, Snow towel-dried a child's hair. With Emma seated cross-legged on the bed in front of her, it was hard not to think of all the times she never got to do this, all the nights she would have dried her little girl's hair after her bath. And as she combed the tangles from Emma's soft waves, she tried not to think of all the mornings she would have spent brushing her baby's hair and styling it for her and pinning jewels in it to add sparkle.

"I like having my hair brushed," Emma spoke up softly.

Snow paused in her combing and leaned over to catch her daughter's eye. "Really?" she asked, a light smile on her lips.

Emma nodded. "No one ever really does it for me, though."

Oh, her poor sweet baby. The thought of Emma doing her own hair day in and day out when all she wanted was for someone to brush it for her cut Snow to the quick. "Tell you what, sweetheart. How about I brush your hair until you tell me to stop?"

Her little girl gave her the most wonderful smile. "I'd like that."

"I would, too," Snow said, returning her baby's smile.

The five of them stayed in the room, the boys playing cards and Snow brushing Emma's hair, until the children began doing more yawning than talking. "All right," Snow spoke up as she set Emma's hairbrush down. Her blonde waves were dry now and shining in the overhead light. "I think it's bedtime."

The younger children groaned but after a beat, Killian flicked his eyes to Henry. "Does that mean it's time for the surprise?"

"What surprise?" Emma asked.

"Henry said he has a surprise for us."

"It is indeed," Henry replied, making Killian grin in excitement and Emma frown in confusion. "Both of you have to be in bed and under the covers for it, though."

The children each crawled to the head of their beds. Their chosen sleeping spaces were indeed perfect for them: Emma, who'd never had room to spread out, now had a big bed all her own and Killian, who was used to bunks on ships, felt secure in a smaller bed in this big new world.

Snow turned down the sheets on Killian's bed while Charming turned down Emma's. As soon as the kids were settled, Henry slipped from the room and returned a moment later carrying a blue plastic circular container with a black dome on top. "What _is_ that?" Emma asked.

"You'll see in a second." The boy clearly delighted in being mysterious. "Are you both settled? We need to turn off the lights for this."

The children looked at each other and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess," Emma said, answering for the both of them.

"Good." Henry sat down at the foot of Emma's bed and set the blue box down beside him. "David, would you mind getting the lights?"

Though Snow had less than zero idea what the contraption was, Charming must have either known or figured it out because he grinned at his grandson. "Sure thing." He crossed to the doorway and paused with his finger on the light switch. "Everyone ready?"

At the chorus of yeses, Charming flipped the switch. The room plunged into darkness but only for a brief moment. Henry flicked a switch on the box, brightening the room with soft blue light. And there, projected onto the ceiling, was the night sky.

The soft intakes of breath from the children echoed Snow's own. "Oh my gosh!" Killian whispered in wonder. "It's the stars!"

"It really is!" Emma exclaimed. "Look, I can see the Big Dipper! It's like a planetarium right here in our room!"

Killian tore his gaze from the ceiling to frown at Emma. "What's a planetarium?"

"It's a big dark room where they project the stars and the planets and stuff onto the ceiling like this. It's really cool. I went to one with school once." Emma looked away from the ceiling as well to smile at Henry. "This is awesome, Henry. Thank you."

"Yes, thank you very much!" Killian agreed. "It'll be like sleeping on the deck of a ship, right under the stars."

The tender smile on Henry's face told Snow that helping the children feel comfortable in the form of a nightlight (for Emma) that projected the night sky (for Killian) had been his plan all along. "You're both very welcome."

And with that, it was time for everyone to say their good nights. Snow longed to give both children hugs and kisses but it was simply too soon for that. She settled for running a finger down their cheeks and adjusting the covers around their shoulders.

"Good night," she said, giving the children one last comforting look. When they returned the sentiment, she stepped out into the hallway and pulled the door closed, leaving it open a crack. Just in case.

"That was a fantastic idea with the projector, Henry," she said with a smile at her grandson. "They loved it."

"Thanks. That was why I needed to call Mom. I had to ask her if she knew where it was because I knew it wasn't at the house. When she brought it to me, she told me to tell you that she hasn't found anything to help them yet but she'd keep looking."

Snow nodded and gave her amazing grandson his own good night hug and kiss. Charming did the same and the three of them retired to their rooms for the evening. "One day down," Charming said as he and Snow climbed into bed. "I don't know about you but I've loved every second of it."

"I have, too," Snow replied. She set the baby monitor on her nightstand and settled under the covers. "This has been more than I could have ever dreamed. We're getting to know her, Charming, and she's getting to know us. It's _amazing_."

"It is."

Charming was still for a beat, then reached his hand out for hers. She gripped it tightly before closing her eyes.

* * *

"Mary Margaret?"

The harsh, frantic whisper dragged Snow from a surprisingly heavy slumber. In the dim moonlight filtering around the edges of the window shade, she could make out a teary little Killian standing at the side of her bed. Instantly, she was wide awake. "Killian? What's the matter?"

"Emma's having a bad dream and I can't wake her up."

Snow was out of bed in an instant. She rushed to the guest room with Killian at her heels. Her heart sank at the sight her baby girl tossing under the covers, trying with all her little might to wake herself from the nightmare that had a firm grip on her. Wilby lay on the bed at Emma's feet in an effort to comfort her with his presence. "Oh, baby," Snow murmured.

Pure maternal instinct took over. She eased down on the edge of the mattress by her little girl's knees just as Emma let out a pained whimper. The sound tore at Snow's heart and she wasted not a moment in giving her little girl's shoulder a sound shake while calling her name.

Emma's eyes snapped open and she scrambled into a sitting position, her gaze darting wildly around the room. The poor little girl was so panicked, so _scared_. "It's all right, sweetheart," Snow murmured, her voice soft and gentle. "It was just a dream. You're all right now."

She repeated the words over and over until, at long last, Emma calmed. After letting out a heavy breath, the poor girl ran a hand over her face.

"Are you all right?" Snow asked.

Emma nodded but didn't say a word.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

A shake of her head.

Of course she didn't want to talk about it. This was a little girl who was used to calming herself down after a nightmare; the idea of talking about it probably frightened her just as much as the nightmare itself.

Now that Emma was awake and all right, Killian climbed back into his own bed. Snow gave the boy a smile to both thank him for helping Emma and to offer a second good night. He returned the smile and curled up on his side facing the wall in an effort to give mother and daughter at least the semblance of privacy.

No one said a word. Snow simply sat with her little girl until Emma's eyelids began to flutter. "You think you can try going back to sleep now?"

A still silent Emma nodded. When she lay her head back on the pillows, Snow drew the covers around her shoulders. She ghosted her hand over Emma's hair. "Good night, sweetheart."

She stood, intent on letting Emma fall back to sleep in peace. She was two steps from the door when the soft voice stopped her. "Mary Margaret?"

A surprised Snow turned around and squinted at Emma in the dim light of Henry's projector. "Yes, Emma?"

"Will you sit with me? Just until I fall asleep?"

Sudden tears of warmth and happiness brimmed in Snow's eyes. Her little girl wanted her to _stay_. "Of course, sweetheart." She reclaimed her previous spot on the edge of the mattress and rested a comforting hand on her daughter's blanketed shoulder. Emma smiled a thank you and closed her eyes.

Just when Snow thought Emma might be drifting off, the girl drew in a breath. "I couldn't find you. In the dream. I was looking for you but every time I found you, you ran away and hid again."

Her eyes remained closed, as if she were afraid to open them to see the expression on Snow's face. And thank goodness because the little girl's confession shattered Snow's heart. "Oh, sweetheart, does that sound like something either David or I would do?"

Emma shook her head, leaving Snow baffled. If she knew Snow wouldn't run away and hide on her, why had the nightmare frightened her so?

The pieces clicked in one heart-wrenching moment. It wasn't something she would do but it was something everyone else in Emma's life had done. On some level, even if it was subconscious, Emma had found somewhere she wanted to belong and she was terrified that she was going to be taken away.

"Sweetheart, I want you to listen to me." Finally, Emma opened her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, Emma. Neither is David and neither are you. You're ours now and nothing – _nothing_ – is going to change that."

All was quiet for the space of a heartbeat. Then Emma scrambled up and threw her arms around Snow, shaking as she held on tight.

Snow hugged the girl back just as tightly. She held her little girl in her arms, rocked her slightly, and murmured soft comforts in her ear. "Oh, baby, you're not going anywhere, not anymore."

This moment, this moment with her little girl in her arms, was simultaneously wonderful and bittersweet. Snow had connected with her enough that Emma felt safe in her arms and longed for her comfort but oh how she wished it hadn't taken a nightmare and a lifetime of abandonment to get them to this point. How she wished more than _anything_ that she could take away all her baby's pain.

At least she had the opportunity to help ease it.

Emma held the hug a beat longer, then sheepishly pulled away. "Sorry."

"You don't ever have to apologize for wanting a hug, Emma," Snow assured her, drying the poor girl's teary cheeks with her thumbs. "I'll give you all the hugs you want any time you want, all right?" At Emma's nod of understanding, Snow gave her a calm smile. "Okay, sweetheart, lie back down."

A thoroughly exhausted Emma released a shuddering breath and did as she was told. Her eyes fluttered closed as soon as her head hit the pillow and she was asleep in a matter of seconds. After watching her baby sleep for a few minutes, Snow adjusted the blanket around her shoulders and pressed the barest whisper of a kiss to her forehead. "Sweet dreams, my darling girl," she murmured and swallowed the lump in her throat when Emma smiled in her sleep at her words.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** Here's some wee Captain Charming time! Because I couldn't resist.

* * *

Charming's eyes opened to the gray light of early morning. A farmer through and through, he had been getting up with the sun as long as he could remember. Even after he became a prince and the days of rising early to tend to the animals were long behind him, the lifelong habit was too ingrained to break. In the castle he'd simply read by lantern light while waiting for Snow to awaken so they could face the day together. In Storybrooke he'd enjoyed using that quiet time to prepare breakfast for his family.

During those early mornings in the loft he started a new habit: making his "rounds." He checked on each of his slumbering family members in turn and wished them soft, private good mornings. In the days following the breaking of the first Curse, when Emma was still reticent and guarded, he would sit at the foot of her bed and simply watch her. His little girl, so hurt, so damaged, so vulnerable (no matter how much she pretended not to be). It had killed him every morning to stand up and leave her side with nothing more than a whispered, "Good morning, kiddo," but stealing a kiss or a tender touch with her walls still sky-high had seemed wrong.

Following the defeat of the Black Fairy, Charming had managed to form a routine that combined the best aspects of farmer and father. He'd make his rounds, checking on Snow and Neal, and then take Wilby outside to feed the animals. By the time he returned to the house to start breakfast, his family would be rising themselves.

This morning, though, was different. Instead of having two family members to check on during rounds, he had five.

Snow was still sound asleep beside him, tucked up against his side. Smiling, he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead before carefully untangling her arms from his and climbing from bed. The night had turned the air chilly and the hardwood floor was cold under his bare feet. Thinking quickly, he tucked the blanket around Snow before the chill could disturb her.

His second stop was the nursery to peek in on his baby boy. Surprisingly enough, Neal was still asleep, sprawled out on his back with one arm flung out across the crib mattress and the other curled around a teddy bear Emma had given him.

Charming stood at the side of the crib for a long moment, finding peace in the soft rising and falling of his son's chest. "Good morning, little prince," he whispered before pressing a kiss to the tips of his fingers, which he then ghosted along Neal's little cheek. Warmth flooded Charming's veins when Neal nestled his cheek into his touch.

At this point on a normal morning he would go downstairs and brew a pot of coffee. This morning, however, he continued down the hall to the first guest room. A peek in on Henry proved that he was also sound asleep, not that Charming expected anything different. The boy had buried himself beneath the blankets so thoroughly that Charming was amazed he was still able to breathe. (Shades of his mother; Emma had a tendency to snuggle under the covers like that.)

Since there was no chance of accidentally waking Henry up at this hour, Charming tiptoed into the room and pulled the comforter off his grandson's face. The boy's nose wrinkling at the rush of chilly air was the extent of the disruption of his slumber. Smiling softly, Charming dropped a good morning kiss onto his temple and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

He paused to collect himself outside the door to the other guest room. Even with that moment of preparation, however, he was not at all ready for the explosion of love that coursed through him when he opened the door. His Emma, his baby girl, was curled up on her side in the middle of the double bed that seemed far too big for her little body. Surprisingly, she wasn't buried beneath the covers but she was getting there fast; the comforter was up to her ear. On the mattress by her feet lay Wilby, wide awake and keeping watch over his new lost lamb.

The dog lifted his head upon spying his master. Since Charming didn't have it in his heart to tell the dog to leave the little girl, he held out his hand and shook his head. Wilby evidently understood the silent instruction because he relaxed and rested his chin on one of his outstretched paws.

"He's been with her all morning," came a soft whisper from the other side of the room.

It seemed Charming was not the only one awake at this early hour. Little Killian sat propped up against the headboard, pillows at his back and a book open his lap. He'd brought the projector into bed with him and had clearly been reading – or at least attempting to read – by the blue-tinged illumination given off by the projector's base.

The fact that Killian would have a similar body clock to Charming's own shouldn't have been such a surprise to him. A cabin boy's day probably started just as early as a farmer's, if not earlier. Plus, Charming remembered adult Emma once teasing her husband about going to bed early, to which he'd teased her right back about not getting up until the sun had been in the sky an hour or two: "The day's half-gone at that point, Swan!"

"Wilby's protecting her," little Killian said now, bringing Charming back to the present.

"He is indeed," Charming smiled.

"He protected her last night during her bad dream, too."

A suddenly concerned Charming darted his eyes to his little girl, who was showing no signs of a nightmare now. "She had a bad dream last night?"

Killian nodded. "I got Mary Margaret. She helped her."

Conflicting emotions tugged at Charming's heart. He was upset for his poor little girl, guilty that he hadn't been there for her during her nightmare, and thrilled for Snow that she'd had the chance to be there for her instead.

"Well, it looks like she's doing fine now, no doubt thanks to Wilby's continued protection." Killian smiled, which had been Charming's intention. After a beat, he gestured towards Killian's reading setup. "I could get you a flashlight, if you want. It would be easier than trying to read by the projector's light."

A frown knotted the boy's brow. "What's a flashlight?"

"It's kind of like a lantern but it runs on batteries like that projector instead of oil or kerosene."

The boy wanted to ask what batteries were and how they made light but he simply gave a nod of understanding before setting his book aside. "No, thank you. I think I'm done reading for now anyway."

Something about Killian's demeanor troubled Charming, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Maybe it was the overly polite tone of his voice, so much like the day before when he was frightened, or maybe it was the way he seemed to be trying to make himself smaller on the bed. The boy was withdrawing and Charming had no idea why.

Charming eased down at the foot of the daybed, getting down as close to Killian's level as he could while still maintaining a little bit of distance so as not to frighten the boy. "Is everything all right, Killian?"

"Yes, thank you," the boy said, giving Charming what he probably thought was a convincing smile.

It wasn't.

Charming took a deep breath while trying to determine his next step. Last night, they'd simply let Killian come to them when he was ready but something about this interaction told him he needed to push. Gently, of course. "Killian, I know the past day or so has been really hard on you. If there's anything either Mary Margaret or I could do to help make it easier-"

"No, no, you've both been wonderful. Henry and Emma have, too. It's just … I miss Liam."

Oh, the poor child. Snow had informed Charming last night of Emma's theory that Killian hadn't been alone very long. Liam was the only person Killian had in the world and here he was, in a strange land with strange people, no Liam in sight.

"Of course you miss Liam," Charming said softly. "You love him and he loves you. He takes care of you."

"He does. He takes good care of me." Killian paused then lifted his big blue eyes to look directly into Charming's. "Am I ever going to see him again?"

As Emma would say: well, crap. How was Charming supposed to answer that? No, Killian wouldn't see his brother again, not for a very long time. While that may have been the truth, it was cruel.

"We're working on it, bud," he answered, opting for a gentle hedging. "Regina's working day and night to figure out how to send you home and in the meantime, you have all of us. Emma and Henry and Mary Margaret and Neal and me. Regina, too, and even Wilby! And the sheep and the chickens, if you want."

A tiny smile had started pulling at Killian's lips the moment Charming started listing family members but the addition of the animals finally got the boy to giggle.

Charming smiled, pleased that he'd managed to make him laugh. "We all want you to be comfortable and feel at home here."

"Home," the boy murmured, trying out the word as if it were unfamiliar. He looked up at Charming, his blue eyes glistening. "I've never had one of those before. Not really, not that I can remember. We've always lived on whichever ship my father worked."

"Well, Killian," Charming said as he swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat, "I hope you know that you have one now."

In any incarnation, adult or child, Killian had found his home – and his family – with Emma and her family after all his centuries on his own. (It may have taken Charming a while to come around, granted, but that was beside the point.)

The boy stared at Charming, his eyes wide in wonder. Then, to Charming's utter shock, Killian threw his arms around him in a hug. "Thank you," he whispered.

"You're very welcome, Killian," Charming murmured into the child's ear, holding the boy tight on a swell of paternal instinct "You're very welcome."

Killian pulled out of the hug a moment later, smiling sheepishly up at Charming. "Are Emma and I still going to collect the eggs from the chickens this morning?"

Charming shook off the rest of his emotion and went with the change of subject for Killian's sake. "Of course."

Killian smiled a thank you before darting his gaze over to the other bed, where Emma had turned onto her other side and now facing them. Charming's heart once again exploded with love and longing as he looked at her beautiful little face. "How long do you think we're going to have to wait?" the boy asked, returning a questioning gaze to Charming.

"Judging by how deeply she's sleeping, it might be a little while," Charming replied with a soft chuckle. "The sun's barely up yet, remember."

Though Killian nodded in understanding, it was clear he was getting antsy. A cabin boy, much like a farmer, was used to doing something with his early morning hours.

"I have an idea," Charming said. "Why don't you and I go feed the animals? Maybe by the time we've fed the chickens and let the sheep graze, Emma will be awake."

Killian smiled. "I'd like that."

Charming would, too, to be perfectly honest. He stood and held out his hand. Killian took it and climbed out of bed.

Again Wilby lifted his head but Charming once again told him to stay. He didn't want Emma waking up alone.

When Killian shot him a questioning look, clearly wondering why the dog wasn't coming with them, Charming winked at the boy. "We're giving him the morning off."

"Wilby looks like he likes that," Killian laughed, "and I think Emma will, too."

Charming chuckled as he led the boy out of the room. He didn't normally have another person assisting him with the animals but somehow he didn't think he'd mind the company.


	11. Chapter 11

Although the morning had dawned cool, the chill burned off by the time the family finished breakfast. Snow now stood on the back deck holding Neal on her hip while her little Emma and a just as little Killian gathered eggs from the chicken coop and tucked them into metal pails Charming had given them for the task, chattering to each other the whole time.

"You wouldn't think the simple act of collecting eggs would be so exciting," an amused Snow whispered to her husband.

A soft chuckle escaped Charming's lips. "No, you wouldn't think so but they love it. Emma said it reminded her Easter morning, and I quote, 'without all the annoying hiding places.' She assured me this was 'a lot niftier.'"

"'Niftier,' huh?" Snow laughed. "She does realize that those are real eggs with whites and yolks and not chocolate eggs filled with fondant or peanut butter or something, right?"

"Oh, she knows. She's just never seen a real egg that didn't come from a carton. She's fascinated."

That was honestly one of the cutest things Snow had ever heard. As a matter of fact, it took all her willpower not to let out an audible, "Aww."

After letting the moment settle, she turned to face her husband. "How were they with the chickens? I know Dixie has a tendency to peck." Which was an understatement; if Snow didn't know any better, she would swear the hen was part woodpecker.

"The kids did great," Charming assured her, "though Emma's a little more reserved around the birds than Killian. I started to collect Dixie's eggs precisely because she pecks but Killian wanted to try so I let him. That boy must be some sort of chicken whisperer or something because Dixie didn't even attempt to go after his hand."

Snow's eyebrows shot to the sky. "We need to have him teach us whatever he did."

"Yes indeed," Charming laughed.

The ringing of the house phone trickled through the open windows. The sound stopped after two rings, leading Snow to assume Henry had answered the call. She shifted Neal on her hip as a comfortable silence fell between her and Charming. If she tried, she could almost pretend that this was a normal morning they never had, one where their little princess scurried around the castle grounds while she and Charming and their young prince kept careful watch over her.

The screen door creaked open and Henry stepped onto the porch, cordless phone in hand. "Gramma, Mom wants to talk to you."

Snow took the phone from Henry while Charming slipped Neal from her arms to change him into his outfit for the day. Now that the baby was eating solid foods, Snow had learned – the hard way, naturally – not to change him out of his pajamas until after breakfast. "Dishes are almost done, too," Henry murmured before ducking back into the house. Since Emma and Killian had been chomping at the bit to collect the eggs, Henry had volunteered to clean up after the family's meal.

"Thank you very much, Henry," Snow called after him, her hand pressed against the phone's mouthpiece. He gave her a wave to let her know he'd heard her. When she brought the phone up to her ear, she was smiling. "Hi, Regina. How's the search going?"

A heavy sigh filled Snow's ear. "It's going. I thought I had retraced Emma's steps enough to at least create the potion that blew up in their faces but my tests proved my assumption wrong."

"Do I even want to know what you're testing it on?"

Regina clucked her tongue in mock disapproval of her stepdaughter's question. "I needed something with a life cycle, didn't I? Still, you'll be glad to know that there are a lot of dried and wilted roses in my vault at the moment."

Snow swallowed a very un-princess-like snort. The former Evil Queen was now testing her potions on plant life. Oh, this was just begging for a teasing. "Would the roses have turned back into seeds?"

"Funny but no. They would have gone back to buds. They're all dead now, though, so suffice it to say, I did not recreate Emma's accidental Fountain of Youth."

It was Snow's turn to sigh heavily. "You're close, though, right? I mean, if the potion wilted the flowers, you know it's doing the opposite of what you intended."

"I could do a little more experimentation with the ingredients of my magical Round-Up but fiddling with a potion I made would only delay my attempts to figure out the potion Emma made."

Almost unconsciously, Snow began pacing the length of the porch. "So what do you do now?"

"I start again but this time, I'm calling in reinforcements. I've explained the situation to Zelena and after she had a hearty laugh, she agreed to help. She's even graciously not demanding to meet Tiny Savior and Tiny Pirate, though her price for her assistance is a picture if you can manage to get them to sit still for one."

 _Oh yes_ , Snow thought with a grin. Getting a picture of the children sounded like something she could do. Hell, it was something she _should_ do. "I think I can manage that."

"Good. I don't doubt that she plans on holding that picture over their heads when we turn them back but hopefully two magical minds working on the problem will bring about a quicker solution."

"I hope so, Regina. Don't get me wrong, I love having them here, but we can't do this forever."

Hell, it hadn't even been twenty-four hours yet and Snow missed Emma – adult Emma, _her_ Emma – something fierce. She had little Emma and gods, she wouldn't trade this opportunity to get to know her and love her for _anything_ but she missed her adult baby girl and her adult son-in-law.

The unmistakable sound of metal crashing down onto wood startled her. Snow spun on her heel in the direction of the sound. In one instant, her world shattered. There stood Emma and Killian, who had finished gathering the eggs and must have run up to show her how many they'd collected. A wide-eyed Killian was staring at her, his breath hitching in his throat and a hurt expression clouding his features. But it was Emma, her little Emma, who had dropped her collection bucket and was now slowly backing down the porch stairs, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill over.

Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no. They'd heard her. They'd heard what she'd said to Regina. And judging by the terrified look on poor Killian's face and the betrayal on poor Emma's, they'd completely misunderstood what she'd meant.

 _We can't do this forever._ How terrible and terrifying that must have sounded to two scared, abandoned children!

In the second it took for Snow to murmur into the phone that she'd call Regina back and hang up, Emma took off running.

"No, Emma, wait!" Snow called as she took off after her. She heard the screen door bang open but didn't stop or look over her shoulder to see who'd come out or what was going on. All that mattered at the moment was her baby, her hurt and scared baby.

The yard was big and Emma was _fast_. Snow lost sight of her as the girl rounded the barn. When Snow reached the spot where she'd last seen Emma, she was dumbfounded. The girl was nowhere to be seen. She could have disappeared into the woods that bordered their yard or the fields where their small vegetable crop grew or the barn. She could have gone _anywhere_. "Emma!"

Silence answered her.

Snow was seconds from breaking down in tears herself. How terrible Snow's statement must have sounded to a lonely, abandoned little girl who had finally found somewhere she wanted to belong. Who had finally found people she thought were different.

"Oh, Emma, baby, where are you?"

Charming arrived then with a wary Killian trailing behind him. "Killian!" Snow cried, dropping to her knees in front of the boy. "Are you all right?"

Killian nodded but he didn't at all look like he was all right. Snow gave him a watery smile and cupped his cheeks in her palms. "I'm so sorry you heard that, honey. I didn't mean it the way it sounded, I promise."

The boy looked into her eyes for a long moment before matching her teary smile and wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. "I'm glad you didn't mean it how it sounded."

A surprised Snow held her tiny son-in-law in the hug, tears trickling down her cheeks. "I didn't, Killian. You're ours now, too. I promise I'll explain what I meant as soon as we find Emma, all right?"

The boy nodded and tightened his arms around her at the mention of Emma's name. Poor Killian was clearly just as worried for Emma as Snow was herself.

"Snow, where did she go?" Charming asked.

When Killian released Snow from the hug, she pushed herself to her feet. "I don't know. She ran around the barn and then she was just gone. Oh, Charming, she could be anywhere!"

"Emma!" Charming called. "It's okay, kiddo, just please let us know where you are."

Nothing. There were no sounds except Killian's and Snow's sniffling and Charming's worried panting.

A black, white, and brown streak darted past them, making a beeline for the woods. Wilby was doing what he was born to do. He was searching for his lost lamb. Snow and Charming exchanged a glance and, as one, took off after the dog with Killian at their heels.

After a mad dash across the yard, Wilby drew to a stop just inside the tree line. He whined and nudged something crouched behind a fat tree trunk.

"Okay, fine, you found me, now shush."

Frantic parents and scared little boy all breathed a sigh of relief. Emma must have slipped into the woods when Snow lost sight of her and run through the trees until she found the perfect hiding spot.

Slowly, Snow and Charming rounded the tree. As soon as Snow caught sight of her precious baby, her stomach lurched. Her poor little girl was seated on the chilly, hard ground with her arms hugging her knees as if trying to make herself as small as possible. The second she spotted them, she shrank back even further, a clear attempt at self-protection.

"Emma, sweetheart," Snow murmured, crouching down and resting a hand on her baby girl's shoulder. Her stomach lurched a second time, her heavy breakfast roiling, when Emma wrenched out of her grip.

It had been so long since she'd seen a truly walls-up Emma that she'd forgotten how utterly soul-crushing it was. Her baby was hurting and all she wanted to do was hold her and make it better. And to make it worse, Snow was the one who'd hurt her this time. Unintentionally, of course, but that was beside the point.

"You want to send us away," Emma muttered, mostly into her knees. Wilby nudged her hands in an effort to get her to pet him but she ignored his pleas.

"No, sweetheart, we don't," Snow insisted. Since Emma refused to look up, Snow sat down on the ground in front of her. The action startled Emma enough that she raised her eyes to Snow's. "I promise we don't want to send you away."

"But I heard you!"

"You misunderstood."

"You said we couldn't stay here forever."

"No, that's not what I said. I said we couldn't do this forever."

Emma looked away, clearly indicating that she believed Snow was splitting hairs.

Snow cast a helpless glance up at Charming, who nodded at her. As always, he believed in her, believed that she could make this right, believed that she could regain Emma's trust. His belief gave Snow strength, boosted her confidence. Made her feel like she could accomplish anything she desired.

Right now, what she desired more than anything was to have her little girl back in her arms. And somehow, through some little bit of pure maternal instinct, she knew how to make that happen.

"Killian, would you sit with Emma, please? I want to explain what you heard."

Of course, she couldn't tell them the whole truth. That they had been adults less than a day ago was too much for the children to comprehend and she would lose little Emma for good if she started talking about magic and potions and spells. But she had to tell them _something_ , something that wasn't a lie.

Emotional truth it had to be, then.

"I said to Regina that we couldn't do this forever," she said softly, looking into first Killian's eyes and then Emma's. "I did not at all mean you two staying with us. We love having you here, both of you. I meant that you two couldn't stay orphaned children with no place to call home forever. David and I … we intend to remedy that. You both will always have a home with us and we will be your family, if you'll have us."

When Killian smiled, Snow knew that she had reached him. Emma still appeared a little hesitant, though she had at least relaxed enough to start petting Wilby.

"I meant what I said to you last night, Emma," Snow continued. "You're ours now, both of you, and neither of you are going anywhere. I know you can tell when people are lying. Please look into my eyes. I wasn't lying last night and I am not lying now. You're ours, Emma, if you'll have us."

All was quiet for what seemed like an eternity. "I know you're not lying," Emma finally whispered around a sniffle. "I knew you were different. That's why it hurt so much when I heard what you said on the phone."

That did it. Snow's restraint snapped and she did the only thing the mother of an upset child could do. She gathered her little girl into her arms and simply held her. "Oh, sweetheart," Snow murmured into her baby's ear, blinking back tears. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Emma whispered back, wrapping her arms tightly around Snow. "It's okay."

Those were the sweetest words Snow had ever heard. Feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted, she held her baby girl and murmured soft comforts into her ear. After a beat, Charming and Killian joined the hug and soon all four of them were sniffling, releasing old emotions and basking in new ones. Two adults and two scared children, finally connected as a family, were letting out sadness and letting love in.

The children would find their way. Snow and Charming and Henry would show them the love that they craved. Regina and Zelena would find a way to set everything back to normal.

Somehow, Snow now knew, everything was going to be okay.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** To PopPotter777: in answer to your question, yes indeed! What fun would it be if they didn't? :) To everyone: you guys are the best. :)

* * *

Emotional breakthroughs, Charming had learned, were not always the big ah-ha moments that the movies made them out to be. They didn't always come from careful reflection or from outlandish circumstances forcing them to the surface. Sometimes they arose from everyday conversation. Sometimes they arose over the course of time.

And sometimes they arose from a simple misunderstanding.

Charming swore his heart had frozen when he'd heard his wife calling for Emma to wait. It had only started beating again when he'd dashed outside to find an upset and uncertain Killian immobile on the porch steps and Snow racing across the yard, presumably after Emma, who was nowhere to be seen.

He'd crouched down in front of Killian and asked what happened. Upon hearing what Snow had said, Charming had given the boy one of his famous pep talks. "She couldn't have meant it the way it sounded," he'd said, "because we adore having you here." The reassurance had worked enough to get Killian to move. The only thing left to do, then, had been to catch up with Snow and track down Emma.

And now here they were, the four of them and a dog, huddled on the forest floor in a tight group hug. No big ah-ha moment. Just a misunderstanding, some loving reassurance, and an embrace in the woods.

As Charming held his baby girl, as he buried his nose in her hair and braced her little head with his palm, he realized things were going to be different now. The wall little Emma had been building around her heart had been trampled by two little boys, a dog, and two loving parents.

Oh, there were sure to be some setbacks here and there. His dealings with his adult baby girl had taught him to expect setbacks. For the most part, though, the little girl in his arms now understood that she had finally found somewhere to belong.

Sitting here in the hug with his wife, his tiny daughter, and his tiny son-in-law was such a tender moment, such a _loving_ moment, that Charming didn't want it to end.

The weather, it seemed, had different ideas. A low rumble in the sky startled everyone. Wilby whimpered and nudged Emma's hand, an effort to get her to head for safety.

"Was that thunder?" Killian asked, his voice quavering.

"Certainly sounded like it," Charming replied as he squinted up through the leaves. What little he could see of the sky through the thick tree cover had turned a startling dark gray.

Weird; no rain was in the forecast for today.

A sudden breeze kicked up, sending dead leaves skittering across the forest floor and making the children shiver. Wilby whined again and nuzzled into Emma a bit more insistently. "We should head back inside," Snow instructed, shuddering through an abrupt chill of her own.

The children didn't need to be told twice. They scrambled to their feet, brushing leaves and pine needles from their pants as they stood.

"Are you both all right?" Snow asked as she stood up straight.

"Yeah," Emma replied, swallowing the last of her sniffles and swiping a hand over her face to dry her tears.

Killian nodded in answer to Snow's question, though the tense expression clouding his features said otherwise. Snow shot a troubled, questioning glance Charming's way but he could only give her a helpless shrug in return.

Could the boy's nervousness still be a result of Snow's conversation with Regina? He'd seemed to understand Snow's explanation and his relief had been palpable.

A second rumble reverberated through the trees. Killian cowered slightly, fear flashing into his eyes as he fumbled for Emma's hand.

No, Killian wasn't still upset about the misunderstanding. The poor boy was afraid of thunderstorms. "Looks like everyone's ready," he said, catching Snow's eye. She, too, had seen what had transpired between the children. "Let's go."

The four of them plus Wilby made their way out of the woods. The storm bearing down on them was coming in fast; the clouds now blocking the sun were so thick that there was no appreciable difference between the ambient light in the woods and the ambient light in the yard.

Another rumble of thunder rolled overhead. Emma gave Killian's hand a comforting squeeze as she whispered, "You ready to make a run for it?"

Ready or not, they all made a run for it when the hint of a flash of lightning lit the yard. Two adults, two children, and a dog raced the storm all the way to the back porch. They bounded through the screen door, children first, then Snow followed by Wilby and Charming bringing up the rear to make sure everyone got in safely. The second the door closed behind Charming, the rain started pouring down in sheets.

"That was close!" Snow gasped as she tried to catch her breath.

Emma stood at the back door and stared out at the yard in something resembling fascination. "I didn't know it was supposed to rain today."

"I didn't, either," Charming said as he stepped up beside his little girl.

"Are the sheep and the chickens going to be okay?"

The sheer amount of concern for the animals in her little voice struck Charming as remarkably sweet. He crouched down so he was eye-level with her. "They're going to be fine, kiddo. The chickens all probably took cover in their coop at the first roll of thunder. The sheep don't mind the rain but only to a point. If it gets too bad for them, they'll take shelter in the barn until the storm passes."

Emma considered that a moment, then nodded. "Okay."

A smiling Charming ran his thumb across her cheek before standing up straight. While Emma watched the impending storm from the doorway, Killian retreated to the kitchen table. The poor boy, who hadn't said a word, flinched when another roll of thunder crashed overhead.

They needed to do something to take the child's mind off the storm but what?

When he met Snow's eyes with a questioning gaze, she simply smiled at him. After all these years, neither of them needed words to communicate. From just that little smile, Charming knew exactly what her plan was. He grinned in approval.

Their ability to conduct entire conversations without ever uttering a single word apparently fascinated Emma in any incarnation. Out of the corner of his eye, Charming spied his little daughter turning away from the storm and staring at them in wonder.

Snow clapped her hands together once, the very picture of a schoolteacher signaling her students for their undivided attention. "All right, everyone into the living room."

Emma and Killian shared a perplexed frown but did as instructed, especially when Snow held her hands out to them. The three of them headed to the living room hand-in-hand, Charming and Wilby following closely behind them.

An upset Henry sat curled up in the armchair with one eye on Neal in the pack and play and the other on the notebook lying open in his lap. He'd clearly heard the commotion with Emma earlier and must have retreated to the living room in an effort to let his Author powers provide an answer to his family's little predicament.

Judging by the empty pages of his notebook, answers were slow in coming. Upon seeing everyone together and Emma unharmed, however, he relaxed a bit.

Relishing the mystery of her unspoken plans, Snow wordlessly released the children's hands, grasped the throw that resided on the back of the sofa, and set it down on the floor. The bewilderment clouding the children's eyes grew but when Snow grabbed the throw pillows and tossed them down with the blanket, Emma grinned. "We're making a blanket fort, aren't we?"

"We are indeed," Snow confirmed much to Emma's excitement and Henry's growing amusement. "Henry, will you please get the extra blankets from the linen closet?"

"Absolutely," the boy smiled, closing his notebook and setting it on the end table. He swiftly ducked from the room and headed upstairs, taking the steps two at a time.

"What's a blanket fort?" a still nervous Killian asked Emma.

"It's a little tent in the middle of the room made out of blankets and sheets. The inside of the fort gets piled with pillows and more blankets and we just hang out in there all day," she explained with a smile. "I haven't gotten to make very many of them but they're _awesome_. You're going to love it."

Killian frowned down at the blanket and then darted his gaze around the room as if trying to visualize a tent taking up much of the space. "I've never built a blanket fort before. I don't know how."

"It's not that hard," Emma assured him.

"And we're going to do it together," Charming added, giving the boy a comforting smile.

"Do we all get to … hang out in the blanket fort?" Killian asked, stumbling slightly over Emma's modern turn of phrase. "All six of us?"

"All six of us," Snow confirmed with a nod.

"And Wilby, too!" Emma added.

"Of course," Charming chuckled. "And Wilby, too."

"It's going to have to be really big, in that case," Killian reminded them.

Henry returned to the room them, carrying the laundry basket filled with extra linens from the closet and the bed pillows from the guest rooms. "And that's perfectly all right because I'm going to help, too, and I make the best blanket forts ever."

That finally got Killian to smile.

With that, the family got to work. Charming and Henry turned the sofa around so that the back faced into the room and draped one of the king-size blankets over the top. They stretched the blanket from the sofa to a couple of the armchairs with Snow and Emma securing everything in place with clothespins. Killian ducked underneath the blanket to set up the lounging area while parents, grandson, and tiny daughter extended the fort's roof with a queen-sized blanket attached to chairs they dragged in from the kitchen.

By the time the thunderstorm moved in for real, the blanket fort took up a good portion of the living room and Killian had relaxed completely. "You were right, Henry," Emma said as she admired the family's handiwork. "You do make the best blanket forts ever."

"And you were right, too, Emma," Killian added as he plopped down on a pillow serving as seating on the floor. "I do love this."

Charming exchanged a touched glance with Snow. This idea of hers had been utterly perfect.

Everyone crawled into the fort and made themselves comfortable. Emma wound up at the back with both Wilby, who once again settled beside her, and little Neal, who had taken quite a shine to his newly tiny big sister. The two of them were currently engaged in a rousing game of peek-a-boo, much to Neal's delight. Henry and Killian settled across from each other, the deck of cards in Henry's hand a clear indication of what they intended to do. Charming and Snow ended up closest to the front of the fort and were content to simply take in the sight of their little family relaxing together.

After taking a moment to let the children settle into their activities, Snow snapped a surreptitious picture with her phone and sent it via text to both Mills sisters. The former wicked witch's price for helping to find a solution was now officially paid. Zelena's reply of multiple crying-laughing emojis was just icing on the cake.

(There was no doubt in Charming's mind that Snow intended on getting the picture printed out and framed for her desk at school. He just might have to request a copy for his nightstand.)

The thunder rumbled and the lightning flashed but as far as the family was concerned, the storm might as well have been a hundred miles away.

After the boys had played a full game of Go Fish, they asked everyone else to play with them. Go Fish dealt five ways – Emma played with Neal on her lap, explaining that they were a team and holy cow did Charming and Snow's shared heart melt into a tiny puddle at that – was somewhat cumbersome but it worked. As they played, Charming sent another questioning look to Snow. This time, she answered his silent question with a smile and a nod.

Since this one was his idea, he asked the question. "So I was thinking that for lunch, we could have an indoor picnic right here in the tent. How does that sound?" All three of the children's faces lit up in excitement, making Charming laugh. "I take it that's a yes."

"It's totally a yes," Emma confirmed. Henry snickered at the gravity of her tone. Apparently indoor picnics were serious business.

"Perfect. So what does everyone want for sandwiches?"

To the surprise of no one, Emma requested grilled cheese. (Once a grilled cheese fan, always a grilled cheese fan, apparently.) A grinning Henry decided he would like grilled cheese as well and Killian requested the same. It was clear the boy had no idea what grilled cheese was but he trusted Emma and Henry. If they wanted it, he was willing to try it.

"Oh, and sour cream and onion chips, too, if you have them," Emma added. "Please."

"Sounds like the perfect picnic," Snow said, smiling at the children. Charming couldn't help but agree. The day wasn't turning out at all how he'd envisioned but if the substitute activities made the children happy, that was all that mattered.


	13. Chapter 13

Even with the added complication of dealing for five, Go Fish could only carry a family for so long. After two full games – make that three for Henry and Killian – it was clear that Henry's impromptu playmates were getting antsy. Poor Emma was trying her hardest to settle a wriggling Neal while, seemingly in response to their shared discomfort, Killian shifted position on the blanketed floor every few minutes.

Henry caught his grandparents' gaze and they both nodded in agreement. Oh yes, it was high time they found another activity to occupy the children. "I don't know about anyone else," Henry said as he collected everyone's paired cards, "but I'm all Go Fished out."

"Yeah, same here," Emma agreed. "I think the squirt's done, too."

A touched smile lit David's face upon hearing Emma's use of the affectionate nickname her adult incarnation had given her baby brother. "It certainly looks like he is," he agreed, his voice soft. "Let me see if I can settle him."

After slipping his little prince from his little princess's arms, David did a quick check of the baby's diaper. Neal must have been wet because David excused himself to change him.

Oh, there was no way in this world or any of the others that Henry was going to tell his ten-year-old mom that her baby brother had been fidgeting because he'd wet his diaper while sitting on her lap. An adult would have taken that news in stride but it would have grossed out a ten-year-old.

Henry should know. He'd been a ten-year-old not that long ago.

With David gone, Snow and Henry took it upon themselves to determine the family's next activity. Though the thunder seemed to have let up a bit, whipping wind splattered the rain against the windows. Outside activities, then, were a no go. Heck, any activities that required leaving the blanket fort were probably a no go. Henry wasn't sure whether little Killian's fear of storms was restricted to thunder and lightning but he didn't have the heart to test the poor boy.

Speaking of, how adorable was it that Killian was afraid of storms? This little boy would grow up to be a fearsome pirate captain who could sail through the worst storms the ocean had to offer. When had he outgrown the fear? And how?

Knowing what he did of his stepfather's past, Henry wondered if he even really wanted to know.

A heavy sigh escaped Henry's lips. None of this mental meandering was helpful. Lunchtime was a good hour away and they still had two little kids to occupy until then.

Thinking up family activities was _hard_.

Suddenly, the answer came to him. "Mary Margaret, you still have all those art supplies, right?"

A smile lit his grandmother's face. "I do indeed. Everyone who wants to draw, please raise your hand."

Just as Henry had hoped, both Emma and Killian stuck their hands in the air. After all, what little kid didn't like to draw?

Teaching elementary school for twenty-eight years during the first Curse had left Snow with enough leftover art supplies to open a craft store. She kept the bulk of her collection in a big green plastic tote, the kind used for storing items in attics or basements. In the apartment, she'd kept the tote tucked into a corner of her bedroom closet but Henry didn't know where she stored it in the farmhouse.

"I'll be right back," Snow said now and ducked out of the fort, presumably to retrieve the tote.

"What are we going to draw, Henry?" Killian asked as he rearranged the blankets and pillows around him to make himself a little drawing nest.

"We're going to draw whatever we want," Henry replied with a smile. Sometimes it was hard to believe that this little boy was Killian. The innocence in the child's eyes was so different from the Killian Henry knew. How many awful things had the boy experienced to tear that innocence away piece by piece?

"What if we're not very good at drawing?" Emma asked, her voice soft.

In some ways, it was easier to believe that this little girl was Emma. Though she was sometimes unsure of herself in a way that adult Emma wasn't, she still had the same manner of searching for sincerity, of feeling people out before letting them in. Very little of the innocence in Killian's eyes remained in Emma's.

"It doesn't matter if you're not very good at drawing," Henry replied, swallowing the lump that had unexpectedly risen in his throat. "You can color or do whatever you want. You could even try to draw what you're comfortable with. You might end up surprising yourself."

Emma gave him a tiny, grateful smile.

Footsteps trailed down the stairs, quieting the children. The footsteps bypassed the living room and headed to the kitchen. A moment later, the radio in the kitchen snapped on and a random oldie blared from the room. "We need some working music!" Snow called, much to the children's amusement.

Playing the oldies station was a pretty smart idea on Snow's part. Going by simple math, little Emma's musical knowledge ended at the early '90s. Hearing songs produced after the grunge era might have made her ask too many questions.

Snow returned to the blanket fort then, plastic tote in hand and old copies of _The Daily Mirror_ resting on the closed lid. She set the tote down, removed the lid, and plopped down beside her little daughter. "Wow," Emma whispered when she spied the veritable hoard in the tote.

"If you've ever wondered what happens to the art supplies in your classroom when the school year is over, now you know," Snow laughed.

"You're a teacher?" Emma asked, raising her gaze to Snow's. When Snow nodded, Emma smiled. "I should have guessed. You're good with kids."

The girl resumed digging through the tote, completely oblivious to the touched expression lighting Snow's suddenly watery eyes. Henry saw it, though, and gave his grandmother a smile. She returned the smile, blinked back her tears, and rested her hand on the small of her little girl's back. "All right, everyone, let's get to it."

True to her concerns, Emma chose a coloring book and a ninety-six-count box of crayons. Killian dug out a sketch book and charcoal pencils while Henry grabbed a pad of drawing paper and a package of colored pencils. Snow handed out sheets of newspaper, while instructing the children to put them underneath their chosen canvases. "I don't want to wash crayon or pencil out of my linens."

"Yep, totally a teacher," Emma teased.

Henry looked up, wide-eyed. That was the first time Emma had joked with them! The progress must have given Snow courage because she rubbed a couple of circles over Emma's back before asking, "May I share your crayons?"

"Sure," Emma shrugged, shifting the box so that both she and Snow could reach it. Snow smiled and snatched a coloring book from the tote to color with her daughter.

As everyone got to work – and Emma hummed along with the songs on the radio, which was in all honesty too adorable for words – Henry snapped a quick picture of the kids and Snow and texted it to Regina with the caption: "Family art time."

Moments later he received a text not from his mom but from his formerly wicked aunt: _Tell your grandmother that I've changed my price. After seeing that picture, I need to see these two in person._

Henry chuckled and handed the phone over to Snow. "Tell them to come over at 12:30 for lunch," she instructed, smirking as she handed Henry his phone back. "We're having grilled cheese."

He relayed the message and swallowed a laugh when the reply came in: _Why does the menu not surprise me? We'll be there._

Thinking quickly, Henry also sent his mom a text asking if she could bring him some of his old chapter books. Crayons and coloring books wouldn't hold two antsy children for very long, either, but story time could work for a bit.

"Who's coming over for lunch?" Emma asked. The coloring book she'd grabbed was filled with pictures for all the annual holidays. Somehow it didn't surprise Henry that his little mom had gone straight for the Halloween pictures. She was coloring a witch seated on a broom with a cat in her lap and she seemed to be having trouble deciding what color to use for the embellishments on the witch's dress.

"Regina and her sister," Snow answered. The coloring book she'd chosen depicted birds and forest scenes, also not a surprise.

"Will they be able to fit in the blanket fort, too?" a somewhat distracted Killian asked. On the paper in front of him, a sketch of a tall-masted ship on a rolling ocean had begun taking shape. Idly, Henry wondered if the weather outside had played a part in Killian's chosen scene.

"Of course they can," Emma replied, smiling up at the little boy. "This is the hugest blanket fort ever!"

Killian laughed and returned his full attention to his drawing.

Henry smiled as well and examined his own drawing. He and Killian – well, adult Killian – had started conducting a kind of art class during the evenings after homework and deputy duties were done for the day. Killian's style was realistic while Henry's lent itself more to cartoon illustration but he certainly appreciated the advice his stepfather gave him. He was heeding that advice now as he worked on a cartoon depicting his grandmother and his little mom lying side by side on their stomachs as they shared a box of crayons. A napping Wilby taking up residence on Emma's other side made the entire scene that much cuter.

Something told him that the drawing would end up on his grandparents' refrigerator from now until he went off to college.

For a couple of minutes, the only sounds were the rain pattering the roof and windows, the wind whistling outside, and Emma humming along with the radio. When David returned to the fort with a freshly changed and calm Neal, the baby's babbling broke the comfortable semi-silence. "What did we miss?" David asked as he sat down cross-legged on a pillow and nestled Neal in his lap.

"Free art period," Henry said with a nod towards the tote. "Grab some supplies and have at it. Oh, and Regina and Zelena are coming over for lunch."

As David retrieved a thick red crayon, a sheet of white construction paper, and a page of newsprint, he chuckled. "Someone's price changed, I take it."

"Indeed it did," Snow laughed, causing Henry to smirk and Emma and Killian to exchange a bewildered frown. After a beat, the kids shrugged at each other and returned to their artwork.

Letting his drawing sit for a moment, Henry simply sat back and took in the touching scene in front of him. Little Emma and Killian lay head to head on their stomachs, their feet in the air. Snow had taken her attention off the coloring book and was now focused on the little girl beside her as if trying to memorize her like this.

David sat with his back to the entrance of the fort, guiding the crayon gripped in Neal's hand along the paper. Clearly he hadn't felt right about Neal watching the other kids color without participating in the activity himself. Without calling attention to it, Henry snapped a picture of them to use as a reference after he finished the drawing of Emma and Snow.

Just as Henry was about to get back to his drawing, a little voice stopped him. Emma was singing along to Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man."

Henry exchanged a surprised look with his grandparents. As a general rule, Emma Swan did not sing – though there had been certain exceptions here and there – and here she was, singing along as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Henry noted with amusement that David also looked vaguely uncomfortable, as if hearing those lyrics in his little girl's voice was raising his overprotective-dad hackles. (Not that Emma had any idea what the words she was singing actually meant.)

The magic was broken when Emma changed out her crayon and caught the three of them staring at her. "Why are you all looking at me like that?" she asked, frowning.

Oh, crap. How could they explain that they were simply fascinated by the sound of her little voice? Thankfully, Snow once again managed to strike the perfect balance between not giving her the complete truth and not telling a lie. "That song came out years before you were born. How do you know it?"

Emma shrugged. "One of the ladies at my last group home liked the oldies and this one was her favorite. I only know it so well because she played it over and over and over again."

Everyone chuckled. "Well, don't let us stop you, kiddo," David said softly.

Emma smiled, plucked the black crayon out of the box, and set about coloring the cat while finishing out the song in a soft murmur.

"Mary Margaret?" Killian said after a beat.

"Yes, Killian?"

"Even though it's storming out, I'm having a lot of fun today."

"Yeah, me too," Emma added.

Talk about heartwarming! "I'm very glad," Snow said, smiling tenderly at the children, "because we are, too."


	14. Chapter 14

Snow White's heart had never been fuller.

Lying beside her in the blanket fort was her little girl, her precious baby, her light in the darkness. The fact that Emma didn't know exactly who they were to each other at the moment didn't at all diminish the love that coursed through Snow's entire being every time she glanced over at Emma and simply took in every single mundane thing she was doing.

That love only grew when Henry handed her the drawing he'd been working on, one of her and her little girl side by side, their heads bent over coloring books and a big box of crayons open between them. Tears welled in Snow's eyes without warning and she drew her grandson into a tight hug.

"Wow," Emma said when she caught sight of the drawing in Snow's hand. "Henry, you're really good."

Henry chuckled into Snow's ear, prompting her to release him. "Thanks," he replied, smiling at his little mom.

Emma smiled back and flicked her gaze over to her new best friend's drawing. "Whoa. You're really good, too, Killian!"

The boy in question tore his attention from his work and looked up at Emma, bright blue eyes sparkling from the compliment. "Thank you. You color really well, you know. I like how you use two different crayons sometimes to blend the colors."

Now it was Emma's turn to beam in the face of a compliment. "Thanks," she said almost shyly.

Grandmother and grandson shared a tender smile. The kids were just too cute for words.

"All right," Snow said once it was clear the children were finished with their artwork, "if everyone's done, we should pack up the art supplies and get ready for our picnic! David will be bringing the sandwiches in soon."

Charming had already taken Neal into the kitchen both to give the baby his lunch and to get started on lunch for the rest of the family and the Mills sisters, who would be arriving at any moment.

No sooner had the thought run through Snow's head than a knock on the front door announced the arrival of their lunch guests. "We can clean up in here, Mary Margaret," Henry assured her, thereby freeing her to answer the door.

"Thank you," Snow said, smiling at each child in turn. "I want all the pictures you worked on set on the end table, though. Those masterpieces are going right up on the refrigerator."

The surprised yet touched expression on Emma's face simultaneously warmed Snow's heart and made it ache. Had her little girl ever had a piece of her artwork displayed prominently on the fridge? It hurt too much to think about but if not, Snow was glad to be the first person to do so.

Even though Killian clearly didn't understand the significance of displaying artwork on the fridge, he smiled as well. "Thank you, Mary Margaret."

"You're all very welcome." After making sure the children were set, she hurried over to the door lest either Regina or Zelena grow impatient enough to knock a second time.

For some reason, Snow had been expecting Regina to poof herself and Zelena over to the farmhouse. As such, finding Regina's Mercedes parked in the driveway was a surprise. Regina followed her stepdaughter's gaze to the car and heaved a sigh. "I didn't feel like explaining to Mini-Savior and Mini-Pirate how we got here if we didn't take a car."

Oh, of course. Little Killian probably wouldn't have asked – for one, he'd understand magical transport, and for another, he was still a little too gunshy – but Emma certainly would have. "Good thinking," Snow agreed. She stepped aside to allow Regina, who had a bag of books hooked on her arm, and Zelena, who was carrying a sleeping Robin in her car seat, entry.

"Speaking of Mini-Savior and Mini-Pirate," Zelena said as she set the car seat down and shrugged off her coat, "where are they?"

"They're setting up the blanket fort for our indoor picnic." She hung both sisters' coats in the closet and gestured towards the living room. "Just a heads-up: they're probably going to ask you to join them on said indoor picnic."

"You didn't mention our grilled cheese sandwiches would be eaten on the floor," Regina said somewhat accusingly.

Snow just shrugged. "I didn't expect that them to ask if you'd be willing to eat in the fort with them. You don't have to say yes."

Judging by the emotion that flitted across their faces at the thought of saying no, Regina and Zelena would most definitely be joining the children on their indoor picnic. Turning down such a childish invitation was easy enough to do with adults. It was going to be a much harder task denying two hurt children.

Former Evil Queen, former Wicked Witch, and napping baby entered the living room with Snow at their heels. Regina's eyebrow quirked up at the sheer amount of linens strewn about the room but the rest of her face remained passive. Zelena, on the other hand, couldn't suppress an amused smirk. "This is just too much," she muttered, swallowing a snicker.

Oh, they were never going to hear the end of this now, were they? Henry would have children of his own and Zelena would still be teasing Killian and Emma about the blanket fort they constructed when they were ten for a day.

Even though none of the children could possibly have heard what Zelena had said, the sound of her voice was enough to prompt three little heads to peek out of the fort. The children emerged in a single file line, Henry first, who took the books from his mother's hand, followed by Killian and then Emma.

"You all already know Regina," Snow said, making the hasty introduction. "This is Zelena and the baby sleeping in the car seat is her daughter, Robin. Zelena, this is Emma and Killian."

Snow had expected yet another sarcastic aside from Zelena but the former witch appeared transfixed. She stared at the children as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. (Frankly, Snow knew how she felt. She'd felt like she couldn't believe her own eyes from the moment Regina knocked on her door yesterday with the children in tow.)

Emma's gaze darted back and forth between Zelena and Regina as her little brow furrowed, though what she was trying to determine, Snow couldn't hazard a guess. Surprisingly, it was Killian who made the first move. He stepped forward and offered his hand to Zelena. "How do you do?"

Stifling an amused smile over the boy's politeness, Zelena shook his hand. "How do you do?"

"Are you sure you're Regina's sister?" Emma spoke up, shooting both Regina and Zelena a disbelieving glance. "You sound more like Killian than you do her."

"Emma," Snow chided but Zelena shook her head, indicating that the girl's question was fine.

"Well, we definitely fight like sisters," Zelena said with a wink, making Emma smile. "Regina and I didn't grow up together, which is why we sound different. We only found each other recently."

The disbelief dropped from Emma's face and was replaced with an expression of both wonder and deep longing. "You were grownups when you found each other?"

Snow swallowed the sudden lump that had formed in her throat. From Emma's question, it was clear that she'd already begun giving up hope of ever finding her family. Hearing that the Mills sisters didn't find each other until they were adults had opened up a whole new world for her, a world in which the search for her family could go on long after she grew up.

A somewhat panicked Zelena looked over at Snow, who nodded her permission to give Emma the truth. The former witch gently set Robin's car seat down on the floor, crouched down in front of Emma, and grasped her hands. "Yes, we were grownups when we found each other. Don't give up hope. Your family is probably closer than you realize."

Emma swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

"You're very welcome, munchkin."

Thankfully, before the tender moment could grow too sentimental for either Emma or Zelena, Charming entered the room with an entire platter of grilled cheese sandwiches. He said his hellos to the Mills sisters and whispered a greeting to the still napping Robin before setting the platter down on the coffee table. "All right, kids, it's picnic time!"

The children had set a blue gingham picnic blanket out on top of the others covering the floor in the fort. Big bowls of chips, pretzels, and popcorn were clumped in the middle of said blanket. Clearly, they were going all out with this indoor picnic idea.

"Do you want to have a picnic with us?" Killian asked.

Considering this was now the second time that Killian had initiated conversation with two relative strangers, how could they say no?

That said, Snow and Charming did reconfigure the fort a bit so that the kitchen chairs could fit inside. At least now the adults wouldn't have to eat on the floor.

During lunch, Emma and Killian alternately ate and played with both Neal and Robin, who had finally woken from her nap. The adults and Henry conversed softly while watching the children, whose attention seemed solely focused on the babies.

"What are we going to do after lunch, Henry?" Emma asked once she was done with her sandwich and chips.

"Regina brought some books over so I was thinking we could pick one to read to each other," Henry suggested. Listening while Killian read aloud to him and his mom was one of the family activities he'd come to really enjoy. At the moment, they were in the middle of _Treasure Island_ but they'd read a few others before that.

"I like story time," Killian softly agreed.

"Sounds to good to me, too," Emma added.

Oh, thank goodness! Snow wanted to ask Regina and Zelena about any progress they might have made and she needed to do so without the children present. Letting them get set up for story time was the perfect excuse to slip away for a few minutes.

Once everyone had eaten their fill of sandwiches and snacks, the children took it upon themselves to take everyone's plates and the snack bowls into the kitchen. From the speed at which they returned, Snow gathered they'd simply left everything in the sink to be washed but she appreciated their effort.

As Emma and Killian dug through the bag to find a book they wanted Henry to read, Snow shot a questioning glance to her husband and the Mills sisters in turn. They all seemed to understand what she was asking because they nodded, indicating they'd talk once the children were settled.

Eventually, Emma held up _Bunnicula._ "Can we read this one? It's about a vampire bunny rabbit!"

Since Killian was just as amused with the concept, Henry slipped the book from her hands. "Sure thing. Now, why don't I sit in the middle so you can both see the illustrations?"

While the children got settled, the adults picked up the babies and ducked out of the fort. Upon realizing that the adults were leaving, Emma sat up straight with a tentative, questioning expression on her face. "We'll be back after we clean the kitchen," Snow assured her.

Emma nodded and settled back down.

"She's a little gunshy about being left alone," Snow murmured to the Mills sisters.

Zelena nodded while Regina winced. Seeing firsthand how Emma's childhood had damaged her was clearly harder than Regina had anticipated.

"Speaking of which," Charming asked, shifting Neal in his arms as the four of them stepped into the kitchen, "are you at all close to finding a solution for our little predicament?"

"We're getting there," Regina sighed.

"We think we know what she did, at least," Zelena added. "The trick now is to figure out how to reverse what she did without producing any other undesired side effects."

Undesired side effects? Snow darted her gaze to the living room. Love was clear as day in Henry's soft voice as he read and it once again struck her how little of this comfort and love Emma and Killian had had. All of these experiences they were trying to give the children, all this love and affection … would it all be forgotten when they turned back?

"Will they remember this?" she asked, a sudden lump rising in her throat.

"They should," Regina assured her. "Memory loss is the undesired side effect we're trying to avoid. I know you're trying to work with them and give them some good childhood memories. I can't promise how it will feel to them, whether it will feel like real childhood memories or if it'll feel like recent memories, but we're trying not to take the memories away."

Considering that the memory issue was the difficulty with Emma's original spell, Snow could understand why Regina was frustrated. "Thank you."

"Let's just make sure we can do it before you start thanking us," Zelena reminded her.

Snow nodded and was about to say something else when a grinning Henry stepped into the kitchen. "You guys have got to see this."

Four curious adults followed Henry back into the living room and peeked into the fort. Though they hadn't been lying down long, both Emma and Killian had fallen fast asleep curled up beside each other. Only the small space where Henry had been sitting remained between them. "One minute they're listening to the story," Henry explained, "and the next, I look down and they're completely out. I didn't even make it three pages into the book!"

Snow's heart melted into a little puddle for about the hundredth time.

"They've had a rough morning," Charming murmured. "A nap will do them good."

Regina, who'd heard the very beginning of said rough morning through the phone, nodded in agreement.

"Oh, this is entirely too much," Zelena snickered. She dug her cell phone out of her pocket and snapped a picture. "The unfortunate thing is that the only people I'd want to send this to are already here. Oh, wait!"

She tapped the screen and a moment later Snow heard the woosh of the text message tone. "Let me guess," Regina deadpanned. "You sent it to their phones, didn't you?"

"Yes indeed." Zelena smirked as she appraised the sleeping children. "All things considered, I have to say that I much prefer this magical incarnation of Emma's to her other one. This one is cute and, more importantly, doesn't try to poison me with onion rings."

Charming and Henry both choked back a snicker and Snow hid a smile. Regina simply rolled her eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** This ended up a bit heavier than my normal fluff but it was clearly time for it because it came out on its own. Also, you guys are still awesome. Thank you for all your lovely reviews!

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With the children now napping, Henry and the adults carried on soft conversation. When little Robin began to fuss, Regina took that as her cue to usher her sister and niece back to the vault. "We still have a lot of work to do," she explained to Snow and Charming, "and we were on the cusp of _something_ before lunch. I don't want to lose that momentum."

"Of course," Charming agreed. The two magical experts losing momentum was not high on the list of things he wanted, either.

"Thank you for letting us come over," Zelena said, her tone surprisingly sincere. "They're precious." She paused to let the sentiment settle and then it was back to her typical sarcasm. "Plus, now I have the perfect blackmail pictures."

"Hard to blackmail people with pictures you've already sent everyone," Regina reminded her, rolling her eyes.

"Everyone in this house, maybe. Not everyone in Storybrooke."

Charming and Snow both swallowed snickers. Zelena talked a good game but she wasn't going to do a single thing with those pictures except aww over them occasionally.

Husband and wife walked sisters and baby to the door and made sure they took off safely. Only after Regina's Mercedes left the driveway did Snow and Charming return to the living room to check on their charges. Henry had engaged little Neal in a rudimentary game of catch that involved rolling a ball across the floor to each other. Snow's eyebrows shot to the ceiling. Now that Neal was walking, keeping him in one place for more than a few minutes at a time had become ridiculously difficult. But there he was, perfectly content sitting on the floor with Henry.

Not wanting to interrupt the miracle happening between nephew and uncle, Snow instead ducked into the blanket fort to tend to the sleeping children. Little Emma was every bit the bed hog as her adult self; she'd already vacated her own sleeping spot and had taken over half of Killian's.

Pure love coursed through Charming as Snow gently shifted Emma back to her own pillow and spread one of the blankets padding the fort's floor over the two children. "Sleep well, sweethearts," Snow murmured, ghosting each of their temples with a kiss.

Both Emma and Killian snuggled deeper under the covers at Snow's gentle touch. Whether or not it was coincidence, Charming would never know.

Charming and Snow ducked out of the fort to find a baby boy who had decided he'd had enough catch. Neal toddled toward the fort only to be scooped up by his father before he could enter. The poor baby babbled some gibberish that sounded awfully insistent and thrust a chubby hand towards the fort.

An amused Charing swallowed a snicker. His young son was annoyed with being thwarted! "I know you want to play with your big sister and Killian but they're napping now and you'd just wake them up."

Since he no longer had a baby or two ten-year-olds to entertain, Henry begged off to read in his room. "And no, I'm not reading _Bunnicula_ without them," he teasingly assured his grandparents.

Deciding to use this time to take a well-deserved breather themselves, Charming and Snow each plopped down in an armchair that hadn't been needed for the fort. Snow set Neal up with some Mega Blocks on the floor at her feet so she could keep an eye on him.

For a long moment, husband and wife sat in comfortable silence. Charming's chair faced the bay window overlooking the front yard. The sun was finally peeking through the remainder of the clouds. The occasional strong gust of wind and the puddles in the driveway were the only indications that a storm was raging less than an hour ago.

"Looks like Killian will be a bit calmer when he wakes up," Charming said, nodding towards the window.

Snow turned in her seat and followed her husband's gaze. "Yes, looks like." She faced forward again and let out a soft sigh. "Is it weird that I find it a little unsettling to see him so … hesitant? He's always so decisive and he has so much experience behind him that it's easy to forget that he was once a scared young child, too."

"It's not weird at all," Charming assured her.

She gave him a grateful smile. "I just hope we're doing enough to make him feel comfortable with us."

"I hope so, too. He seems to have settled in decently enough. They both have. It's just … he seems so _lost_. He and I talked a little bit when we were feeding the animals this morning and it's abundantly clear that he misses Liam terribly. All he wants is his brother back and Snow, that's the one thing we can't give him."

Charming had so far managed to dodge all of Killian's questions about Liam but he wouldn't be able to keep that up forever.

"No, we can't," Snow agreed, swallowing hard as she glanced over at the boy in question. "All we can do is try to help him get through the next couple of days. When Regina and Zelena turn them back to adults, the question of Liam will be moot anyway."

Snow had a point, one that Charming strangely kept forgetting. That the children would eventually return to their adult incarnations was always there in the back of his mind but it was hard to keep that certainty in the forefront when looking at them and talking to them and worrying about them.

Almost as if she could read her husband's thoughts, Snow heaved another sigh. "I didn't expect it to be this hard."

"Snow, this morning wasn't your fault."

A small but unconvincing smile tugged at her lips. "Maybe but I should have been more careful. Before yesterday we only knew the generalities of their childhoods but now we can plainly see how those childhoods hurt them. It kills me to see how tentative they are, how hesitant they are to trust. The way Emma examines my face every time she asks me a question … oh, Charming, it's too much."

Oh gods, he knew exactly what she meant. That uncertain expression on his little girl's face gutted him every time.

"And it's not even just that! I miss them, the _adult_ them. I want the Emma and Killian we know back but I also don't want to let go of the little kids in that fort." Snow finally tore her eyes from the fort, shaking her head. "I don't know, I'm not making any sense."

"Snow, you're making perfect sense," Charming assured her. She'd just spoken of the conflict in his own heart. He adored this opportunity to be with these children and didn't want it to end. He also wished he could have adult Emma and adult Killian back. He wished he had an eternity with the children but was also well aware of the clock ticking away the seconds since he'd last seen his adult baby girl and son-in-law.

He longed to make everything sunshine and puppies and rainbows for the kids while also knowing that all the sunshine and puppies and rainbows in the world wouldn't take away the pain they'd already lived.

After a brief glance over at the fort to make sure the kids were still asleep, he once again addressed Snow. "I don't want to let them go, either. These are the moments we should have had with her. I'm treasuring every second I spend with them, trying to commit every detail to memory because I don't want to lose any of it. But at the same time, I'm counting down the minutes until Regina calls us and says she's figured out how to turn them back because I miss _our_ Emma and Killian so much it hurts."

He blinked hard against the sudden tears in his eyes. "This is hard, Snow. It's hard looking at our baby and seeing a hurt, reticent, frightened little girl looking back. It's hard looking into her eyes and seeing no recognition of who we really are to her. It's hard watching our baby learn how to trust all over again when all I want to do is just pull her into a crushing hug and never let her go. And Killian … he makes me profoundly sad. Seeing him as a little boy who just misses his brother has made me realize that he spent _centuries_ like that. He turned to piracy after losing Liam and revenge after losing Milah and all the while, he was just a lost little boy who missed his family."

Snow tried to no avail to blink back her own tears. "I knew they both had it bad, Charming, but seeing them like this? Gods, I don't know how they survived it."

"They survived it in any way they could. They survived it by putting up those walls of theirs. They didn't let anybody get too close because of how much it would hurt when that somebody went away."

"Such an unimaginably brutal way to grow up."

What else was there to say to that?

Charming's gaze traveled over to the silent fort. Emma was once again infringing on poor Killian's personal space. Once a bed hog, always a bed hog, apparently.

"Which is exactly why we're doing what we can now, Snow," Charming reminded her. "It was your idea to take this time and give them some of the happy experiences that, as is blatantly obvious, they very much need. No, it won't fix everything. It can't rewind time or change the past or keep them from feeling any of the pain they've experienced but it will help. These kids now know that someone somewhere loves them. If we've eased even an iota of that pain for them, it'll be worth it."

Snow took a shaky breath in and held it a moment before exhaling and drying her eyes with her index fingers. "Thank you."

"What, for telling you your idea was brilliant?" Charming teased. "You're welcome."

That thankfully got her to chuckle, which had been his intention. After taking a moment to settle her emotions, Snow cleared her throat and nodded towards the fort. "What should we do with them when they wake up?"

Charming considered their options. It was still too wet for outdoor play, though he did need to check the animals now that the storm had passed. Wilby needed a chance to run around as well. As much as Wilby enjoyed taking care of his new lost lamb, he was typically an outside dog. Henry might be up for another round of video games but Charming wasn't sure he wanted the children to spend a second afternoon in front of the television.

The memory of making dinner with Emma the night before rose to the surface. Suddenly Charming knew of the perfect activity. "Emma did ask yesterday if we could make pasta from scratch."

Since Snow enjoyed leading cooking lessons of any kind, it was not a surprise that she readily jumped aboard his train of thought. "I'm prepared for the impending mess if you are."

"The dustpan and broom will be at the ready," he chuckled. "I know Emma will pretty much be in food heaven having spaghetti twice in a row but we'll just have to make sure no one else minds."

Snow ticked family members off on her fingers as she made her way down the list. "Neal's a baby who eats what we give him. Henry's a fourteen-year-old boy who eats anything and everything as long as it's food. And Killian, even in his little state, is fine with whatever Emma wants. I have a funny feeling no one's going to complain."

"Well, when you put it like that," Charming laughed, "I think another cooking lesson is just what the doctor ordered."

Snow let her gaze drift to the children. Preparing dinner as a family was the perfect way to make them feel even more at home. "Yes, I think it is, too."


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:** Here's some Snow-and-tiny-Killian time, just because. Also a little heads-up that next chapter might be delayed a bit because I am heading to the OUAT con in New Jersey this weekend! It's going to be a blast but it also means I won't have my normal weekend writing time. :) And lastly, y'all rock. Thank you SO much for all your lovely reviews. You guys are fantastic. :)

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For a peaceful and calm forty-five minutes, Snow and Charming sat with their babies. Little Neal, full of the energy that only small children had, bounced from activity to activity at their feet. Mega Blocks gave way to his shape sorter, which in turn gave way to his stacking rings. Only when he tired of pushing his toy tractor around the hardwood floor did he circle back to the Mega Blocks.

"Do you mind if I leave for a few minutes and check on the animals?" Charming eventually asked, breaking the comfortable silence between him and his wife.

After a glance down at Neal and then over to the fort where Emma and Killian were still sleeping, Snow shook her head. "Go make sure everyone weathered the storm all right," she said with a tender smile. "We'll be fine here for a few minutes."

Charming gave her a grateful smile and rose from the chair. He crouched down to ruffle Neal's soft hair before straightening and kissing Snow on the cheek. "I'll be right back."

At Snow's nod, Charming tiptoed over to the fort and snapped his fingers to capture Wilby's attention. The dog gave Emma's cheek a swift lick, pushed himself to his feet, and tottered up to his master.

With Charming and Wilby gone, Snow was left with the children and her thoughts. The earlier conversation with Charming still weighed heavily on her mind. Her chest ached so much at the thought of what her little girl and Killian had been through already in their young lives that she swore it might drown her.

The pain in their eyes was too much for her. The uncertainty, the reluctance, the sheer distrust. They were the eyes of children who'd experienced far too much far too young. She wanted nothing more than to whisk all that pain away from them, to make it so they'd never experienced it at all.

Losing her mother at such a young age had been soul-crushing for Snow. Her mother had missed her milestones and had missed watching her grow from girl to young adult. There were so many nights she longed for her mother, so many lonely nights when all she'd wanted was to curl up in the safety of her mother's arms. It gutted her to think of all the nights Emma and Killian had done the same, all the endless nights spent longing for their parents.

These poor children had suffered so much. They deserved love, deserved to know how it felt to be cherished. They deserved to feel safe and comforted, deserved to know that someone was always there for them, for anything they needed.

And Snow vowed to show them exactly that for as long as they were in her charge.

A quiet but insistent banging drew Snow from her morose reverie. While she'd been daydreaming, a happy little Neal had decided to drum the Mega Blocks in his hands against the hardwood floor. "Oh, shh," Snow murmured as she held her hands over her son's to halt them in place. "No banging. You're going to wake your sister and brother-in-law!"

And scuff the floor but tearing the children from their naps was Snow's bigger concern at the moment.

Almost guiltily, Snow darted her gaze over to the fort. At first it didn't seem as if the noise had disturbed them but then Killian shifted under the blanket. He whimpered softly and tried to turn over only to crash into Emma, who was lying back-to-back with him. The collision startled poor Killian awake while Emma simply let out a soft grunt, rolled onto her stomach, and went still.

Killian sat up and rubbed his eyes. His bleary gaze traveled around the fort before landing on Emma, who breathed a soft sigh as she settled back into sleep. Smiling, he cautiously climbed over Emma's legs and out of the fort.

"Well hello, sleepyhead," Snow gently teased as the boy padded over to her.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep," he said apologetically before plopping down in the armchair Charming had vacated.

"Oh, Killian, it's perfectly all right. You and Emma were both tired and you must have been really comfortable listening to Henry read. Honestly, I would have been more surprised if you _didn't_ fall asleep."

That got him to smile. Sensing he needed a little time to fully wake up, Snow let the conversation trail off. Instead, she did a quick visual check of her other babies. At her feet, a content Neal still played with his Mega Blocks – without hammering them against the floor, thank goodness – and in the fort, Emma was beginning to stir.

"Mary Margaret, may I ask you a question?"

The soft query drew her attention back to Killian, who was regarding her with a tentative uncertainty that made Snow's chest ache. "Of course, honey."

"Are you and David and Regina really from the Enchanted Forest?"

Of all the questions Snow thought Killian might ask, that one was nowhere on the list. She must have looked as surprised as she felt because he added, "David told me yesterday."

The hopeful expression on the boy's face told Snow exactly why her husband had confided that they were from the Enchanted Forest. The knowledge that the new adults in his life were from the same place he was made him feel a little more at home in this new, unfamiliar world.

In the fort, Emma was fighting waking up with all she had. Secure in the knowledge that Emma wouldn't overhear her, Snow replied, "Yes, we are."

"How did you get here?"

"We were sent here by a curse. It's broken now, though, so I don't want you to worry about it, all right?"

Killian nodded, a breath of relief escaping his lips. "If it's broken, how come you didn't go back? Don't you miss the Enchanted Forest?"

"I do miss it sometimes. I miss the fresh air and the quiet. Sometimes this world can be very noisy." At that, Killian nodded in agreement. "But this world is my home now. My family and friends and all the people I love are here. One lesson the Curse taught me is that home isn't necessarily a physical place. It's wherever you can be with the people you love."

Again, Killian nodded, though this time it seemed as if he were mulling over her words. The concept of home seemed unfamiliar to him. Frankly, it probably was. Even if he'd thought he knew what home was, his own conception of it would have shattered the morning he awoke to find his father gone.

"May I ask you another question?" he asked, suddenly subdued.

The boy's change in demeanor worried Snow. "Absolutely," she said, trying not to make her concern apparent in her tone. The last thing she wanted was to make Killian uncomfortable.

"If I wanted this world to be my home, could we try to bring Liam here? And if Liam comes, could we still stay here with you?"

The tears welled in Snow's eyes without warning. This little boy, this lonely, frightened little boy had found somewhere he wanted to belong. As tenuous a concept as it was for him, he'd found home and he'd found it with her family.

Sniffing back her tears, Snow pushed herself up from her chair, crouched down in front of Killian, and took his hands in hers. The reassurance she wanted – no, _needed_ – to give him was worth the implied white lie regarding Liam. "Of course you could still stay here with us. We would be honored to have both of you join our family."

Welcoming Killian Jones, in any incarnation, into her family was her pleasure. Killian loved Emma, protected her, supported her, helped her find her way home. He'd protected the entire family, he'd sacrificed himself for them, and they'd willingly followed Emma on her march to the Underworld to rescue him.

Not that this little boy knew any of that. All he knew was that he felt loved here. He felt secure and comforted and loved.

Killian sat motionless for a beat before throwing his arms around Snow in a tight hug. "Oh, Killian," she murmured into the boy's ear, "you're safe now."

He tightened his grip and in response, Snow tightened hers. This poor little boy had clearly longed for this kind of comfort, had ached for it, and now that someone was giving it to him, he didn't want to let it go.

After a long moment, Killian pulled away and sniffed back some stray tears. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Snow smiled, blinking back her own tears as she cupped Killian's little cheek in her palm.

Little Neal once again smacked the Mega Blocks against the hardwood floor, startling both Killian and Snow. Mother-in-law and tiny son-in-law shared a sheepish chuckle as Snow reached down and took the blocks out of her son's hands. "No banging," she chided before tucking the confiscated blocks back into the storage bag.

Neal huffed at her and abandoned the rest of the blocks for his stacking rings, giving Snow a flash of the tantrums that surely awaited her once her baby boy hit his terrible twos.

That last bang must have pushed Emma into full consciousness because no more than a second or two later, just long enough for Killian to settle on the floor with Neal and Snow to sit back down in the armchair, a yawning Emma emerged from the blanket fort. Her blonde waves had tangled during her nap and Snow's heart practically seized at the domesticity of the moment.

"I guess I needed a nap," Emma mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep, as she plopped down on the floor at Snow's feet.

A breath caught in Snow's throat. Here was her sleepy little girl, leaning back against her legs as it if were the most natural thing in the world. Underneath Snow's wonder and joy, however, was a tinge of concern. The fact that this still somewhat hesitant little girl had settled in Snow's personal space couldn't be ignored. On some level, maybe one Emma didn't even realize herself, she was seeking comfort.

An instinct that Snow didn't quite understand made her lean forward and run her fingers through Emma's hair. The small amount of tension in the girl's shoulders relaxed in response to the tender touch. Snow smiled, pleased that her instinct had been correct.

"I just woke up a few minutes ago, too," Killian assured her.

"And Neal and I have been right here the whole time," Snow added. "David and Wilby were here most of the time, too. They just went to check on the animals a few minutes ago."

Emma graced them both with a shy smile, surprised and grateful that she hadn't been left alone while she slept.

After a minute or two of fiddling with the Mega Blocks, Emma decided to build a rudimentary staircase by taking a few square blocks and stacking each one half on top of the other. Killian observed her for a moment before constructing a staircase of his own. Now that Neal had playmates, he once again shifted focus back to the blocks and built his specialty: a tower.

The sound of the screen door banging in the kitchen announced Charming's return from the back yard. A smile lit his face as soon as he and Wilby entered the living room to find the children awake. Dog and master each reclaimed their previous spots, Wilby at Emma's side and Charming in the armchair across from Snow. "I see our sleeping beauties are up," Charming teased, causing the children to blush. "Did you both have a good nap?"

"Yeah," Emma replied shyly while Killian nodded his agreement. "Are the animals okay?"

"All present and accounted for. The sheep are a little muddy, mostly because Linden likes splashing in puddles."

Both Emma and Killian let out soft giggles at the mental image of a sheep intentionally stomping in puddles like a little kid.

A creak on the staircase captured Snow's attention. She tore her gaze from the children to find Henry bounding down the stairs. "I thought I heard voices," he said, grinning at his little mom and stepfather before joining them on the floor with Neal.

Snow looked up to meet Charming's smiling eye. Oh, how they wished they could make this moment with the children playing together last forever.

Eventually, Emma set her staircase upright against the storage bag, slung an arm across Wilby's back, and glanced up at each of her parents in turn. "What are we going to do now?"

Snow exchanged a glance with Charming, who nodded at her. It was officially time to see if their plan for the afternoon would work for everyone. "David and I were talking about that while you were napping. You asked yesterday if we could make pasta from scratch. How would you two like another cooking lesson?"

Emma's eyes lit up but Killian looked a little perplexed. "Is pasta what we had for dinner yesterday?"

"Yes indeed," Charming replied. "Last night, we had pasta we bought from the store but we can make it ourselves, too. It tastes a little different when it's homemade. Truthfully, I like it much better that way. So what do you all say? Do you mind having spaghetti for dinner again?"

"Nope!" Emma grinned. Not that there had been any doubt.

"Sounds good to me," Killian agreed with a smile. Not that there had been any doubt with him, either.

"I'm game," Henry shrugged, partly because he was indeed a fourteen-year-old boy who just wanted food but mostly because Emma was so excited.

"All right," Snow said as she stood up, clapping her hands together to capture everyone's attention. "All children into the kitchen."

"Yep, definitely a teacher," Emma murmured under her breath. Both Snow and Charming bit back smiles.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:** Thank you for all your lovely well wishes for the con! I had a complete and total blast (lesson learned: when Princess Jasmine holds out a microphone for you to sing into, you sing into that microphone and the fact that you can't sing to save your life matters not one iota ;)) and I hope if any of you went, you did, too! To PopPotter777: Jen's hair is *stunning,* especially in person! You're going to have so much fun at your con. :)

* * *

Since Henry had made homemade pasta with both Regina and his grandparents enough times that it no longer fascinated him, he volunteered to keep Neal occupied at the kitchen table and thereby out from underfoot. "At least that way you won't have a baby covered in flour by the end of the lesson," he said through a laugh.

Charming sent the boy a grateful smile. No, they wouldn't have a baby covered in flour but they probably would have two ten-year-olds who'd need a good cleaning up.

"You guys are joking, right?" Emma asked. "It can't really be that messy, can it?"

Charming's heart caught in his chest. His little girl's uncertain tone spoke volumes about the life she'd led up until now, a life of being afraid to make waves. A life of having to keep to herself out of self-protection and self-preservation. A life of trying to remain as unobtrusive as possible both to make good impressions on potential families and to keep the negative attention away.

He wanted so badly to reassure her that she could relax and be herself here but when Charming opened his mouth, he found he couldn't speak. This world had been so cruel to his little girl, so damaging, so brutal. All he wanted was to make it better but no sound would come.

Snow met his watery eyes with her glistening ones before giving him a tiny nod, telling him to let her handle the reassurance for now. She knelt down in front of the children and took Emma's hand in her right and Killian's in her left. "Making homemade pasta is an activity that makes a mess even when you're purposely trying not to make a mess. It's an easy enough mess to clean up, though, so I don't want either of you to worry about it, all right?"

"All right," Killian nodded.

A little bit of the tension in Emma's shoulders eased. "Yeah, okay."

Charming's own shoulders relaxed as well. After sending a grateful smile Snow's way, he grabbed the eggs from the fridge and brought them over to the counter where the container of flour already lay in wait. While he got the children set up, Snow dug into the pantry to retrieve the hand-crank pasta machine. No automatic pasta makers for this lesson. The children were going to learn the old-school method of mixing the dough themselves and rolling and cutting it with the press.

"That's really all that's in pasta?" Killian frowned. "Just eggs and flour?"

"We'll add some water, too," Charming answered.

"It just seems like it would be more … involved."

"Nope, just those three ingredients. Sometimes getting the proper proportion of wet ingredients to dry can be a little tricky but making the dough itself is pretty easy. You two ready to start?"

The eager smile on Emma's face warmed Charming's heart. The little pep talk Snow had given her seemed to have worked its magic. As soon as Killian saw that Emma was okay, he nodded in agreement.

Although Snow was the teacher by trade, she had no problem letting Charming lead this lesson. Homemade pasta was his specialty.

He showed the children how to portion out the flour, press their little fists into the flour mound, and crack eggs into the resulting well. "It's so cool that these eggs were in the chicken coop this morning and now we're using them to make dinner," Emma observed as she added her second egg to the well.

"Where do eggs come from in this world if they don't come from chickens?" a perplexed Killian asked.

Both Killian's innocent question and Emma's patient explanation caused Snow and Charming to bite back smiles. "Oh, eggs still come from chickens here. I'm just used to buying them from the store instead of getting them right from the chicken coop."

Killian seemed to gather that a store was the Land Without Magic equivalent of a market. "Oh, okay."

After Charming instructed the children to add water to the eggs, he said, "All right, now it's ready to mix."

"But you didn't give us any mixing thingies," Emma pointed out.

"On the contrary, Miss Emma, you have two 'mixing thingies' already in your possession." When Emma frowned at him, Charming held up his hands, palms out.

"We get to mix it with our _hands_?" Killian asked, his eyes lighting up in excitement.

It never failed; children adored doing messy things with their hands. "Have at it," Charming laughed.

He showed them how to incorporate the flour into the egg and water, a process Emma didn't care for in the slightest. "It's sticky," she said, her nose wrinkling as she held up her egg-and-flour-caked hands.

Stifling a laugh, Snow helped Emma strip the dough clumps from her fingers. "We warned you that it would be messy."

"This isn't that bad," Killian spoke up, mimicking Snow's motions to remove the clumps from his own hands. "If you want messy, you should try cleaning and deboning fish."

Emma wrinkled her nose in earnest. "Ugh, no thank you."

Once the children worked the dough into something that could conceivably be used to make pasta, Charming showed them how to use the pasta machine. "These rollers flatten the dough out into sheets and these rollers cut the sheets into spaghetti. Want to try?"

Both children definitely wanted to try. Since he was not about to hand sharp knives to two small children, Charming himself sliced off chunks of dough for them to flatten and cut. As Killian turned the crank to cut his sheet of dough into spaghetti, Emma reached underneath the machine to retrieve a small raw noodle that had gotten lost in the shuffle. Before either Charming or Snow could stop her, she popped it into her mouth.

Judging by her disgusted expression as she swallowed the dough, it was an action she clearly regretted. Snow coughed to muffle a laugh. "Doesn't taste how you expected, does it?"

"No, not at all," Emma huffed. "Spaghetti officially tastes much better when it's cooked. This is like, the total opposite of cookie dough."

"Then I'm definitely not trying it," Killian said with an air of finality. It was all Charming could do not to laugh out loud.

After they cut enough spaghetti to feed a small army, Charming popped the pasta in the freezer to chill until dinnertime. "The only thing left now is the cleanup."

Killian looked down and chuckled. "It looks like it snowed in here."

A light dusting of flour covered the floor beneath the counter. Clumps of flour shaped suspiciously like footprints made Emma lift up her foot and sure enough, the bottom of her sock was caked with it. "Ugh!" This time, though, she was fighting a giggle.

"You think that's bad?" Snow chuckled. "You two should look in a mirror."

The children grinned at each other and crowded around the stainless steel toaster to check their reflections. They both busted out laughing at the streaks of flour running across Killian's forehead and the dusting on Emma's cheeks and nose. "All right, maybe this is as messy as cleaning fish," Killian allowed.

"So what do you think, Miss Emma?" Charming asked, smiling as he stood behind the children. "Is making pasta everything you hoped it would be?"

"It's weird and messy but it's fun."

"I'll take that as a yes."

* * *

Homemade pasta instantly became Emma's new favorite meal. From the moment she popped the first bite into her mouth, she insisted that she was never going to eat spaghetti from a box ever again. And when she exclaimed that they absolutely had to make their spaghetti from scratch all the time from now on, Charming didn't think his heart could be any lighter or fuller.

This lonely little girl who'd spent ten years longing for a family had finally found somewhere she wanted to belong. This little girl hadn't spent more than a few months at a time in one place since she was three years old and here she was, planning future dinners with the people in this new home.

Here she was, planning future dinners with her _family_.

It was all Charming could do not to leap out of his seat and wrap Emma in the tightest hug imaginable.

After the children cleared the table, Snow and Charming shooed all four of them into the living room. Cleaning the kitchen would go much faster without the kids underfoot. As they headed out of the kitchen, Killian asked Henry, "Could we play that cartoon racing game again? That was really fun and I was just starting to figure out how to make the cartoon do what I wanted it to do."

"Yeah, sure," Henry replied, swallowing a laugh at the boy's description of video games.

"Just for a little while," Snow allowed. "We'll think of another activity for all of us after the kitchen is clean and Neal is down for the night."

"All right," the children chorused in unison.

Just as Snow plunged her hands into the soapy dishwater to wash the first plate, her phone toned. "That's a text," she informed Charming. "Will you grab my phone for me and just see what it says?"

"Sure thing." Charming slung the dish towel over his shoulder and retrieved Snow's phone from the table. It was indeed a text from Regina. The second Charming read the message, his half of their shared heart skipped a beat.

 _We think we have it figured out. Testing phase now. Hopefully will be able to give the potion to you in the morning._

How three simple sentences could make him so unbelievably relieved and yet so utterly devastated was beyond him.

"Charming? What is it?"

Only then did Charming realize that he had frozen in place. By the time he turned around, Snow was already drying her hands on another dish rag, her brow knitted in concern. He held up the phone so she could read the message and watched the conflict flicker across her face.

"How can something feel too soon and not soon enough at the same time?" Snow murmured.

In an instant and without a single word, Charming drew his wife into a strong embrace. He felt her body shudder from a restrained sob, causing tears to leap into his own eyes. "It's all right, Snow."

"Like hell it is. I want them back so badly, Charming, but I don't want to give them up. I know it doesn't make any sense but–"

"It makes perfect sense, Snow. I don't want to give them up, either, but I miss our Emma and our Killian, too." He pulled out of the embrace and held her at arm's length, his hands keeping a comforting grip on her shoulders. "But look at it this way: we may have only had a couple of days with them but it's a couple of days more than we should have. And in that couple of days, we've given them so much love and so much comfort. We've helped them more than we could have ever thought possible."

Snow nodded, sniffling back the rest of her tears. "I know. It's just … hard." She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked him in the eye. "If this is the last night we have with them, we need to make this time count. We need to make sure they know beyond a doubt how loved they are."

Charming nodded in agreement, a gentle smile on his lips. "Sounds perfect."


	18. Chapter 18

Cleaning the kitchen was the furthest thing from Snow's mind. How could she possibly spend even ten minutes washing dishes and wiping down the table when the time she had with the children was running out? Gleaming sauce pots and perfectly dried glasses now seemed wholly unimportant.

Unfortunately, it was against her nature to let a mess sit. Charming clearly felt the same pull to be with the children as she did because between the two of them, the kitchen was sparkling in less than five minutes. After Snow set the last glass back in the cabinet and Charming tossed the now damp dish towel in the washer, they both headed to the living room.

They drew to a stop in the doorway and took in the sight of the children playing together. The boys had taken over the Super Nintendo. From what Snow could tell, Killian had improved greatly from the day before. Emma and Neal had taken seats on the floor and were engaged in a rousing game of peekaboo.

Her baby boy's wild laughter and her baby girl's soft giggles sent tears to Snow's eyes. The sights and sounds of her babies playing together, loving each other, and having fun with each other were beyond comforting, beyond heartwarming. These were the sounds she should have heard from the day Emma was born. These were the sounds that should have echoed through the walls of the castle and filled their home and their hearts.

The past couple of days had been absolutely wonderful and oh, how Snow wished she could hold onto the children just a little bit longer. This glimpse into the life they could have had – with a bonus tiny pirate, of course – had only just begun. The meals and games and hugs and snuggles were everything Snow had ever dreamed of and more. How could she face giving up all those moments she should have had?

Sending her precious Emma, only minutes old, through the wardrobe to safety was the hardest thing Snow had ever done. She'd sent her precious baby away to live a life without her parents but free from the Curse. Facing the reality that her baby's life in this world had been brutal and cruel and filled with hardship was the second hardest thing Snow had ever done.

This was not the life Snow had wanted for her. This was not the life she should have had. Emma should have grown up with the love of her parents, the love of friends, the love of an entire _kingdom_. Instead, she'd grown up with nothing. No love, no support, no comfort. Nothing.

Looking at her now, seeing her sitting cross-legged on the floor while hiding her face behind her hands to make her baby brother laugh … _this_ was what Snow had wanted for her. This little girl deserved to be surrounded by family and friends and love and comfort. Snow had a funny feeling that giving her little Emma the potion to return her to her adult state was going to be the third hardest thing she'd ever have to do.

That wasn't to say that she didn't miss adult Emma. Gods, she missed her adult baby girl more than words could ever express. She missed Emma's sarcasm and her teasing. She missed her warm hugs. She missed trading text messages back and forth, Emma's way of procrastinating when faced with an afternoon of paperwork. She missed Emma and Killian coming over for dinner and catching up with them before the meal. Hell, she just missed Emma and Killian, _her_ Emma and Killian.

A comforting hand slid onto Snow's shoulder. She complied with her wonderful husband's silent request, resting her head againt his shoulder. "It's going to be all right, Snow," he murmured into her ear.

Snow simply nodded, afraid that she'd start crying if she opened her mouth.

"Emma, look!" Killian cried, his excited little voice drawing Snow from her reverie. "I won three races in a row!"

The girl's eyebrows shot to the ceiling, as did Snow's. Although Killian had clearly gotten the hang of the controls, beating Henry three times in a row was not an easy feat. Emma's surprised gaze shot to Henry, who answered her incredulous look with a surreptitious wink.

The smile of comprehension that lit Emma's face was priceless. "That's awesome, Killian! Henry's really hard to beat, too."

Killian beamed so proudly that Snow sent her wonderful grandson a grateful smile of her own.

Now was as good a time as any to join his family for a relaxing evening, so Charming edged into the living room proper and eased down on the sofa. Snow followed suit, settling on the opposite end as her husband. The big surprise came a moment or two later when Emma, having clearly tired of peekaboo, lifted Neal off the floor, plopped down on the middle cushion between her parents, and settled the baby on her lap.

Emma choosing to sit between her parents rather than anywhere else in the room spoke to how far she'd come in less than forty-eight hours. It spoke to how well she'd responded to their love and attention and how comfortable she felt in this house with them.

Gods, how could they let her go in the morning? But at the same time, how could they not?

Nobody said a word but both Snow and Charming remained floating on cloud nine. When Neal started to squirm, Emma shifted him around so he was sitting on her knees, facing her. With a smile lighting her eyes, she bounced her legs on the balls of her feet. "Trot, trot to Boston. Trot, trot to Lynn. Watch out, little baby, that you don't fall in!"

Neal's giggles echoed through the room when Emma dipped him backwards just enough that his head tipped back. She repeated the rhyme a few more times, Neal's laughter growing louder each time he "fell in." Soon enough, Snow and Charming were laughing along with him. "You're very good with him, Emma," Snow said softly.

The girl shrugged almost shyly. "Whenever I was in a group home with babies, I played with them like this. They need a lot of attention."

Left unsaid was that those babies probably weren't getting enough attention, just as Emma herself hadn't. The sheer amount of empathy Emma possessed even at this young an age sent more tears to Snow's eyes. "I'm sure you helped those babies a lot, sweetheart."

"I hope so," the girl admitted.

A teary-eyed Charming slung a comforting arm around her shoulders. "If the other babies reacted at all like he is, I can guarantee you did."

To the surprise of both parents, Emma shifted closer to him, allowing the snuggle in earnest.

For a long moment, the three of them just watched the boys play video games with Wilby curled up on the floor at their feet. Confident in his abilities now, Killian had begged Henry to let him try the Grand Prix mode. They were currently in the third race of the cup and Killian held a respectable third-place standing. Considering that Killian hadn't even known what a video game was the day before, his score was nothing to sneeze at.

Perhaps it was due to her years as a teacher but Snow adored watching children concentrate. She couldn't get enough of watching them learn how to play and learn how the world around them worked. As such, she loved watching Killian come along in his video game lessons.

The movements of his hands on the controller weren't as swift or as automatic as Henry's. Every so often, he looked away from the screen and down at the controller as if he were couldn't understand why the button he pressed didn't do what he had expected it to do. Using his right hand to stop and go while his left hand controlled direction still seemed to trip him up every so often. Still, the boy was determined and, most importantly of all, having a lot of fun. Whenever he fell behind in the race, he'd simply shore up his concentration and regain his place, grinning in triumph each time.

"Do you know what I think we should do tonight?" Emma spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence on the couch.

Unable to resist the motherly urge any longer, Snow tucked a wayward lock of Emma's hair behind her ear. "What's that?"

"We should have a movie night."

That was a fantastic idea except for one little problem: the only VCR in the farmhouse resided in the master bedroom. Due to her little girl's inquisitive and stubborn nature, attempting to show Emma movies on DVD would cause far too many questions.

 _Then again,_ Snow, thought, _we could bring the VCR downstairs_. She'd have to occupy the children while Charming swapped the electronics but it could work.

"I think that sounds like a marvelous idea," Charming said, oblivious to Snow's inner panic, "and I think I can make it better. Do you know where we would all be really comfortable?"

The girl shook her head.

"Upstairs in our room! We have a _really_ big bed. You and Killian and Henry could all stretch out at the foot of the bed and Snow and I could relax up by the pillows. Wilby could come, too, if he wanted!"

So he wasn't as oblivious to her panic as she'd thought. Her wonderful husband had, in fact, already thought of a solution to the VCR problem. Snow sent him a grateful smile over their little girl's head, which he acknowledged with a smile of his own.

"Are you sure it's okay?" a suddenly nervous Emma asked.

The hesitance in her baby's voice tore at Snow's heart. How many times had a master bedroom been declared off limits to her, a place she was never to enter even if she was afraid and wanted someone to comfort her? Oh, her poor, poor little girl.

"Of course it's okay, kiddo," Charming assured her. "I wouldn't have suggested it if it wasn't."

Emma smiled in relief. "Then I like that idea a lot."

"It's settled, then," Snow smiled. "We can decide what movie to watch when we get upstairs." Mostly because Snow didn't remember which movies she still had on VHS.

"Can we make popcorn?"

At that, they both chuckled. They'd barely had a chance to digest their dinner and their little girl was already asking about snacks. "What kind of movie night would it be without popcorn?" Charming asked by way of a response, which made Emma laugh.

"Do you have the stove-top kind? With the loose kernels and stuff?"

"I'll tell you a secret," Snow stage-whispered conspiratorially. "David makes the best stove-top popcorn of anyone I've ever met."

Emma raised her eyebrows. "Okay, now we _have_ to have stove-top popcorn!"

"I'm pretty sure I can make that happen," Charming laughed.

After another beat or two of watching the boys play video games in silence, Emma spoke up again. "You know, I don't have a real family but if I did, I'd want it to be just like this one."

Tears of touched joy welled in both parents' eyes. This had to be what heaven felt like.

Snow and Charming wrapped their baby girl in a hug at the same time. "Oh, sweetheart, if we had a daughter," Snow murmured into her ear, cringing slightly at qualifying that statement with an "if" in order to keep up appearances, "we'd want her to be just like you."


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note:** Please have your toothbrush handy because wow, this is sugary. Oops? O:)

* * *

Since Killian and Henry were having fun playing _Super Mario Kart_ and Emma was perfectly content cuddled up between her parents with her baby brother on her lap, Snow saw no reason to break up the little party. A tiny voice that seemed to come from the elementary school teacher inside her whispered that the children had spent far too much time in front of the television already. The bright grin on Killian's face and the amusement and pride in Emma's eyes as Killian started to actually give Henry a run for his money silenced that voice. Besides, if this truly was the children's last night as children, they should spend it doing something they enjoyed.

"You could race, too, if you want, Emma," Charming reminded her after a long beat of silence. "You don't have to stay up here with us and Neal."

"Nah, that's okay. I like watching the boys race." She looked up at Charming somewhat shyly. "And I like sitting up here with you guys and Neal."

Snow's heart practically lifted straight out of her chest. The amount of progress they'd made with their little girl in such a short time was nothing short of a miracle. Could Emma have somehow unconsciously understood that she belonged here? That she was finally with people who loved her with all they had?

The day before and even this morning, she kept saying they were different. She must have felt the effects of their love and attention, something she'd craved her entire life.

"We like sitting up here with you, too, kiddo," Charming assured her with a touched smile. He swiped the tip of his index finger down her nose, making her giggle.

Seven o'clock came far too soon for Snow's tastes. A large part of her wished she could stay on the couch with her husband and babies until morning but the more responsible part of her knew that she needed to start Neal on his bedtime routine now if she wanted him to go down without a fight. "All right, little prince, it's night-night time," she murmured as she extended her arms to take the baby from his sister's lap.

Neal let out a rather displeased whine, drawing surprised looks from the rest of the family. The sound startled the boys so much that both their pixelated racers fell off the track.

Well, then. There went trying to get him down without a fight. Having so many people to play with didn't help; the poor baby clearly didn't want to miss any of the fun.

Snow lifted him off Emma's lap despite his fussing. "Shh, you'll see everyone in the morning. Everyone say good night."

"Good night!" came the chorus of soothing voices.

As Snow headed out of the room with Neal on her hip, he stretched his hand out to Emma. Big sister responded to her baby brother's call, pushing herself from the sofa and sidling up to Snow. "I could help you get him in his crib for the night, if that's okay."

It was more than okay. In fact, it was the most perfect thing Snow could imagine. "Of course it's okay, sweetheart. Thank you very much."

"Yes, and while you two settle the little guy," Charming added as he stood, "Henry, Killian, and I can clean up down here and get everything set up for movie night. We can pop the popcorn and pile the bed with blankets so we'll be good to go once Neal is down."

Splitting the tasks would certainly help a great deal. "That works for me," Snow agreed, her smile growing when Emma nodded beside her.

"Works for us, too," Henry said after sending Killian the silent question and receiving a nod in response.

"I just have one question," Killian spoke up.

"What is it?" Charming asked.

"What's a movie?"

They all exchanged an amused grin. "Something you've got to see to believe," Emma chuckled.

With the family's plans now settled, Snow carried Neal up the stairs with Emma one step ahead of her. As soon as Neal realized that Emma was coming, too, he'd stopped fussing. Not that he was suddenly happy bedtime had rolled around. The second his crib came into view, he started to whine again.

Snow jiggled him in an effort to settle him but before any words of comfort could come out of her mouth, Emma addressed her baby brother. "It's okay, Neal. We're going to change you into your PJs and read a story and it's going to be so much fun." Belatedly, she looked up at Snow to make sure she'd gotten the baby's bedtime routine correct.

"That's exactly right, Neal," Snow replied with a wink to her little girl, who let out a soft breath of relief. "We're going to have a ball."

For such a young child, Emma was a fantastic help getting Neal ready for bed. She picked out a pair of pajamas for him and brought over a fresh diaper and the container of wipes without Snow having to ask. While Snow changed Neal, Emma crouched in front of the little bookshelf to pick out a bedtime story. Somehow, Snow wasn't surprised when Emma finally decided on _Goodnight Moon_.

"You do more than just play with the babies at your group homes, don't you," Snow said softly.

Though it wasn't a question, Emma nodded anyway. "I don't have to do the bedtime stuff at the good homes but some of the bad ones … I try to take care of the babies and the little kids. Nobody should just be put in bed and left in the dark but especially not the little kids."

A telltale tickling rose in the back of Snow's throat and she coughed to ease it. No, she was not going to cry. She was not going to imagine her little girl – her sweet, wonderful little girl – alone in the dark. She was not going to imagine her sweet baby with no one to comfort her after she awoke crying from a nightmare. She was not going to imagine her little Emma putting herself to bed and feeling utterly alone.

Instead, she focused on the little girl in front of her, the girl who, at ten years old, tried so hard to make sure no other child felt as alone as she had. "You are an amazing little girl, Emma Swan."

A teary-eyed Emma ran up to her mother and threw her arms around her waist. In an instant, Snow dropped to her knees so she could properly hug her baby girl while also holding her baby boy. "I'm so glad I'm here," Emma whispered into her ear.

"I'm so glad you're here, too, sweetheart. We all are."

Neal chose that exact moment to let out a happy babble, making both mother and daughter laugh. "See?" Snow teased, sniffling back her tears. "Neal agrees."

Emma held the hug a beat longer and then pulled away, wiping her eyes. "All right, squirt, I get it. Now let's read a bedtime story, huh?"

After settling the baby in his crib, Snow eased down on the rocking chair. Emma settled on the floor at her feet. Snow read _Goodnight Moon_ to both her babies while once again thinking that this was how it should have been all their lives.

It took one and a half runs through _Goodnight Moon_ for Neal to finally close his eyes. After Snow let her voice trail off, she and Emma waited a couple of minutes to make sure Neal was completely asleep before pushing themselves to their feet. "Good night, little prince," Snow whispered before pressing a kiss to her fingertips, which she then ghosted across her baby boy's little forehead.

"Good night, squirt," Emma added, her voice the same whisper as Snow's. "See you in the morning."

Snow switched on the baby monitor, picked up the receiver, and walked her little girl out of the room, leaving the door open a crack.

By the time she and Emma entered the master bedroom, the boys had gotten everything ready. On the dresser sat two large bowls of freshly made popcorn gleaming with melted butter. They'd poured glasses of water for everyone, the better to quench the thirst created by the salty popcorn. The bed was piled with some of the blankets used in the fort, which Charming assured Snow had been dismantled and the rest of linens used in its construction put away.

"I'm bummed about that, by the way," Killian interjected. His use of a word Henry had clearly taught him made the adults chuckle.

Wilby had even settled on one of the blankets while patiently awaiting Emma's return. The only things left to do were choose a movie and get comfortable.

The movie choice mostly came down to Emma. Henry was fine with whatever the kids wanted and Killian obviously didn't know any of them. When Emma seemed to have trouble deciding between _Mary Poppins_ and _Honey, I Shrunk the Kids_ , Charming told her to pick both of them.

"Both? Really?"

The excitement on her little face melted her parents' shared heart. "Of course, kiddo," Charming smiled. "I think a movie night this big calls for more than one movie, don't you?"

"I definitely do," she grinned.

"I still don't know what a movie is," Killian reminded everyone. He slid _Honey, I Shrunk the Kids_ from Emma's hand and skimmed the synopsis on the back of the sleeve. "I take it it's a story of some kind?"

"It's kind of like a play," Snow explained. "It's a story being acted out by real people but they're not going to be right in front of us like they would be at a play. They're going to be on the television."

The poor boy still looked a little confused but he nodded anyway. "Thank you."

Something told Snow that Killian would have many more questions before the night was over, especially once they got to "Jolly Holiday" in _Mary Poppins_.

With the movies chosen and _Honey, I Shrunk the Kids_ in the VCR, the family all piled onto the bed. Snow and Charming climbed under the covers. To their utter surprise, both Emma and Killian settled on top of the covers between them. Hiding a grin, Henry handed each child a blanket, a pillow to prop up against the headboard with the adults, and a bowl of popcorn before lying down the long way at their feet. After everyone had settled, Wilby made himself comfortable in the empty space between the children's feet and Henry's back.

Thank heavens Snow and Charming had sprung for the king bed!

As the movie started, Snow made a point of watching Killian out of the corner of her eye. The sheer wonder on the boy's face was utterly adorable. He was bursting with questions, not only about the mechanics of how the movie played on the television but also all the technology in the movie (outdated though it now may have been). He was so drawn in by the story, however, that he didn't want to break the flow by asking them.

He finally broke his self-imposed silence with a gasp when the titular kids shrank. "I understand that this is just a story and those people are simply portraying the characters in the story but how did the people who made the story make the people that little?"

Henry turned around and gave him a comforting smile. "It's a trick. They built really big pieces of furniture and other really big things to make the kids look really little. Kind of like how if Neal held something, it would look really big but if you held the same thing, it would look smaller."

"Perspective," the boy nodded. "It looks so real, though."

"That's what makes it a trick."

Emma didn't say a word but tucked herself further into Snow's side. A touched Snow wrapped her arm around Emma's shoulders. The bright smile that lit the little girl's face indicated how pleased she was with this entire evening.

Once again, everyone settled down and the rest of the movie played in silence. Towards the end, Snow felt more than saw poor Emma fighting a losing battle with sleep. A glance down at her proved that her eyes were closing despite her valiant efforts to keep them open. Smiling, she tightened her arm around Emma, inviting her to snuggle even closer. Accepting the invitation, Emma rested her head on Snow's shoulder and finally let herself relax.

When the movie was over, Snow turned her head to ask the rest of the family if they wanted to put in _Mary Poppins_ only to realize that she'd lost Killian and Charming, too. Even Wilby was out like a light.

Henry must have expected conversation to kick up as the credits rolled because he turned around, vaguely perplexed at the absence of voices. The grin that split his face warmed Snow's already full heart. "I guess one movie was enough."

"Yes, I guess so," Snow chuckled.

Henry slid off the bed, stopped the tape, hit rewind, and switched off the television. After gathering the empty glasses, he slipped the popcorn bowls off the children's laps. "Do you want me to help you move them?"

No, she didn't want Henry to help her move them. She didn't want to move them at all. If this was the last night she had with them, she wanted them as close as possible, Emma's bed hog tendencies and all. "No, thank you," she said with a smile. "They can stay right here tonight."

Henry returned her smile and nodded in understanding. Once he'd packed up the detritus of movie night, he leaned in for a good night kiss. "Night, Gramma."

"Good night, Henry," she said, dropping a soft kiss on his cheek. "See you in the morning. Thank you for cleaning up tonight and for being so wonderful about their little accident the past couple of days."

"You're welcome. They're really fun and I'm glad we can give them some nice memories while they're little."

Gods, Snow had the best family.

And now it was time to tuck the rest of that family in. She slid the pillows behind Emma and Killian flat, made sure the blankets were properly covering them, and ensured Charming was snug and warm as well. Starting with Charming, she gave each of her sleeping family members a good night kiss. "Good night, my darlings. I love you."

And maybe it was just her imagination but she could have sworn all three of her family members smiled in their sleep, giving her their own unconscious good nights.


	20. Chapter 20

Soft strands of hair tickled Charming's nose and slowly drew him from slumber. For a long moment, he drifted in that fuzzy realm between asleep and awake. The tickling eventually became too strong to ignore. Still half-asleep, he slowly opened his eyes, fully expecting to find Snow cuddled up with him. He let out a surprised gasp when he discovered his ten-year-old son-in-law invading his personal space instead.

After taking a moment to let his eyes adjust to the soft light of sunrise, Charming pushed himself up on his elbow and surveyed the scene in front of him. Killian lay fast asleep on his side facing Charming, one arm resting on his hip and the other hand tucked underneath the pillow. The reason for the boy's close proximity became clear the moment Charming's eyes landed on his baby girl, who was sprawled out on her back with one hand resting on her stomach and the other arm flung across her tiny True Love's pillow. Poor Snow was left with a tiny sliver of the far end of the mattress, pushed to the edge by their bed hog of a daughter. Even Wilby had spent the night in the room, though the dog was now awake and sitting watch at Emma's feet.

How in the world had _this_ happened?

Vague memories came back to Charming then, memories of trying desperately to keep his eyes open during _Honey, I Shrunk the Kids_. Not because he cared about the movie itself – he'd seen it before so he knew how it ended – but because the closeness with his family had made his heart sing. Since he had no memory of the movie ending, he gathered his efforts to stay awake had been unsuccessful.

Apparently the children hadn't been able to stay awake, either. Not that Charming minded. A soft smile tugging at his lips, he lay back down and took a few moments to relish in the domesticity of having his slumbering family so close.

If he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend that he and Snow were back in the Enchanted Forest with their little princess, comforting her after a nightmare or during a storm with thunder echoing off the stone walls of the castle. He could almost pretend that on this early morning, his little princess had crawled into bed with her parents to snuggle for an hour or so before starting the day. All those precious moments that they should have had weighed heavily on his mind but moments like this with his family cuddled up together in sleep helped to ease that weight just a bit.

In just a few short hours, Regina (and maybe Zelena) would arrive with the potion to return the children to their adult forms and oh gods, Charming wasn't ready. He wasn't prepared to let the children go and he most certainly was not prepared to lose his baby girl for the third time. He'd only just met his ten-year-old daughter and here he was, preparing to say goodbye yet again.

Although Emma and Killian weren't at all loud children, the farmhouse would be so _quiet_ without them.

On the other side of the coin, he was more than ready to have his adult baby girl and his adult son-in-law back. Spending time with their child incarnations was of course a dream come true but it wasn't the same. He missed conversations with Emma and trading jokes with Killian. His missed his baby girl's laugh and the pirate's smile.

He couldn't wait to make sure they knew that they were loved in every incarnation.

A soft whimper drew Charming back to the present. Beside him, Killian turned onto his back, his little face screwed up in what could only be the throes of a nightmare. Before Charming could even reach a hand out to wake the poor boy, Emma rolled over onto her side and draped her arm across Killian's stomach. To Charming's surprise, the boy instantly calmed.

Unconscious though it was, True Love had struck again, this time stopping a nightmare in its tracks.

Charming waited until Killian had settled back into deep sleep before tossing the covers off his legs. The sun had come up; it was officially past time to start his day.

Even though most of Charming's family was right here in this room, he still had rounds to make. He dropped good morning kisses on Killian's forehead and Emma's temple before rounding the bed and crouching down next to his sleeping wife. "Turn over," he murmured into her ear. "Our little bed hog gave you more room."

Though still fast asleep, Snow obeyed his instruction and reclaimed prime mattress real estate. When she settled with a sigh, Charming pressed a kiss to her temple. With Wilby following him, he tiptoed out of the room.

His first stop was the guest room where Henry lay sleeping. Just like the previous morning, the teenager had buried himself beneath the covers. Smiling, Charming tugged the comforter off the boy's face and folded it down around his shoulders. Henry was so deeply asleep that he didn't even flinch at the temperature difference. Charming swallowed a chuckle, kissed the boy's forehead, and left him to his slumber.

Surprisingly enough, the only other conscious member of the family was baby Neal, who was sitting up in his crib and happily playing with a chunky toy car. The baby broke into a wide smile at the sight of his daddy. "Well, good morning, little prince," Charming murmured, smiling back at his baby boy. He switched off the baby monitor so that neither he nor Neal would wake Snow or the children. "You're awake early today, aren't you?"

The baby answered him with a giggle.

"And you're happy, I see," Charming laughed as he lifted his tiny son out of the crib. "That's always a good sign."

He changed the baby's diaper and set about dressing him for the day. While Snow had a tendency to put Neal's pajamas back on him until after he'd eaten his breakfast, Charming threw caution to the wind and risked the extra laundry. The first outfit he pulled out of the drawer happened to be one Killian had gifted him: a pair of navy blue pants and a gray long-sleeve shirt with a navy blue anchor printed across the front. Deciding quickly that adult Killian would enjoy seeing the baby in an outfit he chose, Charming maneuvered Neal into the pants and shirt. Then father, fully dressed son, and family dog made their way downstairs.

Although farm duties were a touch more complicated with the baby joining him, they weren't impossible. Just as Charming opened the door to the hall closet to dig out the stroller, the floorboards on the front stairs creaked. Somehow Charming was not surprised to find a sleepy Killian coming down the stairs, rubbing his eyes. It did surprise him, however, to discover a just as sleepy Emma following behind him, tugging her fingers through the endearing tangles in her hair.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Charming asked with a gentle smile.

"Did we miss it?" Emma mumbled blearily.

It was all Charming could do not to scoop his half-asleep little girl into his arms and settle her on his lap until she woke up fully. "Miss what?"

"Feeding the animals," Killian answered through a yawn. "Like yesterday."

 _Well then_ , Charming thought, fighting a grin. It seemed he was going to get some assistance readying the animals for the day. "No, you two are just in time. I just have to find Neal's stroller and get him a snack before we head outside. Why don't you two sit down for a minute and I'll let you know when we're ready?"

The groggy children didn't need to be told twice. They headed for the kitchen and plopped down at the table to wake up a little bit. Charming grabbed the stroller from the closet and carried it into the kitchen. A handful of Cheerios would keep Neal occupied and quiet while in the yard; his real breakfast would come as soon as they were back inside.

By the time Charming had readied the baby to wait out the outside chores, both Emma and Killian had perked up considerably. "You both ready now?" Charming asked.

"Yep!" Emma exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. As had become habit over the past couple of days, Wilby trotted up next to her. Emma smiled and ruffled the fur on the dog's back, melting Charming's heart. "Are we going to collect the eggs again, too?"

"Of course! We'll do that after we feed the chickens. It'll be easier to collect the eggs when they're distracted by food."

Killian giggled. "We'll be sneaky like thieves!"

Emma laughed as well and gods, how Charming adored hearing that sound.

After making them put on jackets, Charming led the children out into the chilly morning. "Is it always this cold early in the morning?" Emma asked through a shiver.

Charming bit his lip to keep from smiling. "Not in the summer."

"But in every other season?"

"In winter, it's even colder!"

"Yuck."

That finally did Charming in. He laughed and ruffled his little girl's hair. "Your disgust is noted, Miss Emma." She grinned up at him and Charming swore the sun shone just a bit brighter.

As it turned out, he could have stayed inside with the baby and let the children handle the animals themselves. Killian had retained almost all of what he'd learned the day before so Charming simply stood back and observed while the boy unbundled the hay for the sheep's feed and asked Emma to refill the water trough. All the while, he talked to each of the sheep in turn before saying, "I hope you're all hungry!"

Both Emma and Charming laughed.

Once the sheep were fed and watered, the family moved on to the chicken coop. Killian spread the feed while Emma once again refilled the hens' water. Little Neal apparently felt left out because he threw a Cheerio into the coop before Charming could stop him. The children's laughter pealed through the morning air when all four hens descended on the single Cheerio as if it were ambrosia delivered by the gods.

"Are they even supposed to eat Cheerios?" Emma asked after her giggle fit had died down.

"Cheerios are okay for a treat," Charming assured her. One Cheerio split among four hens wouldn't go very far anyway.

As soon as the chickens were off pecking the ground for their feed, Charming handed Emma and Killian the collection buckets. With Dixie distracted by the food, egg collection went off with no pecks to little ten-year-old hands.

"We got a ton of eggs," Emma informed Charming as she and Killian stepped out of the coop. Killian latched the short fence as Emma held up her bucket for Charming's inspection.

Sure enough, there were a decent amount of eggs in her bucket. With the storm and everything else that had been going on, Charming hadn't collected yesterday afternoon, which no doubt contributed to the haul this morning. "Wow, that _is_ a ton of eggs," he said, smiling at his little girl, "and I bet Killian has another ton."

"I do," the boy said, holding up his bucket.

"So what do you say we turn some of these eggs into omelets?"

"Oh, yes, please!" Emma exclaimed.

Though Killian evidently didn't know what an omelet was, he seemed just as excited at the prospect of an egg dish for breakfast. "That sounds great."

Charming smiled at the children. "You two did a fantastic job this morning."

"Thank you," they both said in unison, identical blushes coloring their cheeks.

As the family headed back to the house, Charming in front pushing Neal's stroller and the children and Wilby following behind him, Charming overheard Killian murmuring to Emma. "I miss the ocean and I miss Liam but I'm having fun here, too. That's all right, isn't it?"

Why wouldn't it be all right? Before Charming could turn around to ask, however, his baby girl answered her new friend. "Of course it's all right. Liam may not be with you now but he'd want you to have fun and be happy wherever you are, wouldn't he?"

Killian mulled that over a bit. "Yes, he would."

"See? Then it's perfectly okay that you're having fun here. I'm having fun here, too. I've been in a lot of houses and I know this one's special. _They're_ special. They love us, Killian, and you know something? I love them."

"I do, too," Killian softly replied, his smile evident in his tone.

And now Charming was glad he hadn't turned around because otherwise he'd have to explain the sudden tears of joy that had sprung to his eyes. Oh, he couldn't wait to tell Snow what he'd accidentally overheard! The children had found home with them, the children _loved_ them, and there were no words to express just how much he loved them, too.


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:** We all know by now that I never apologize for any feels I might give you, right? O:)

* * *

If working as a fourth-grade teacher for twenty-eight years had taught Snow anything, it was that ten-year-olds could not do a single thing quietly. No better had this point been brought into stark relief than when the harsh whispers of her new favorite ten-year-olds tore Snow from her peaceful slumber.

"Wait, if you won't let me carry the tray, at least let me take the glass of milk off of it. I'm surprised half of it hasn't spilled already."

Though she kept her eyes closed, Snow smiled. That sounded like Emma.

A breathless Killian answered her. "All right, yes. Will you take it, please?"

"Yeah, I got it." There was a pause and when Emma continued, her whisper trembled from nerves. "You really think she's not going to get mad that we're waking her up?"

"David said she wouldn't." Snow could imagine the shrug Killian had given Emma just from his tone. "Why? Do you think she will?"

Another beat went by as Emma considered her answer. "No, not really. I've just … never done anything like this before. Waking up the grownups, even to do something nice, isn't usually allowed."

Oh, how Snow's heart ached at Emma's admission. The poor little girl had never been close enough with any of the adults in her life to warrant not getting in trouble for disrupting their sleep. Those people were all damn lucky that Snow had no idea who they were because if she did, she might not be responsible for her actions.

"I've never done anything like this before, either. We'll just have to do it for the first time together."

Clearly Killian Jones, in any of his forms, always stood behind Emma Swan. He constantly supported her and encouraged her. He broke down those walls she'd hidden herself behind and helped her truly feel the love that was extended to her.

And Emma Swan, in any of her forms, responded positively to his encouragement. For even here, standing outside the bedroom door and facing a situation that had more often than not ended in punishment for her, she took a deep breath and shored up her courage. "Okay, let's go."

The enticing aroma of cooked peppers and onions, along with the earlier mention of a glass of milk and a tray, left no doubt as to why Emma and Killian were outside Snow's bedroom door. While part of her wanted to remain still and let the children surprise her, as had clearly been the intention, she sat up and propped the pillows up against the headboard. Hopefully both Killian and Emma would feel a little more comfortable if they didn't feel like they were disturbing her.

Soon enough, the bedroom door creaked open to reveal a tiny Killian, his dark hair still sticking out at odd angles from sleep, holding a breakfast tray with two slices of cinnamon toast, a couple strips of bacon, and a somewhat messy pepper and onion omelet. Emma stood behind him, blonde waves falling around her shoulders, with a glass of milk in one hand and a mason jar containing a single daisy in water in the other. Emma's sheer relief to discover Snow already awake was palpable.

As such, Snow injected her tone with a light lilt. "Well, good morning! Dare I ask what I did to deserve two of my favorite children serving me breakfast in bed?"

Killian's cheeks flushed a light shade of pink, which Snow found utterly adorable. Emma shrugged almost shyly. "David showed us how to make omelets and he said you'd like it."

Ah ha. Now the lack of Charming's usual omelet perfection made sense. He'd had four little hands helping him with this one!

Despite Snow's enthusiasm, both children appeared unsure that their gesture would be as appreciated as Charming had suggested. "I don't just like it," Snow assured them with a smile. "I _love_ it! Thank you both very much! What's on the menu today?"

"Bacon, an omelet, and toast," Killian said as he stepped fully into the room and propped the tray up over her knees. "Emma has the milk because walking up the stairs with a full glass on a tray is hard."

The honesty of the boy's answer made Snow swallow a chuckle. "I bet it is," she said as Emma set both the milk and the daisy on the tray with the rest of the meal. "Everything looks delicious!"

Still, the children seemed uncomfortable. A discouraged Snow had no idea why. In an effort to set them at ease, she patted the empty side of the bed. The smiles that lit the children's faces at the silent invitation to climb up with her made her heart sing.

As was typical, Charming had sent up more food than Snow could possibly eat in one sitting so she handed each child a strip of bacon. "What have you two been up to this morning?"

Soft but excited little voices filled her in on the early morning adventure feeding the animals. By the time they told her about little Neal accidentally feeding the chickens a Cheerio, Emma was giggling. "It was _really_ funny," she said. "You'd think we'd given them candy or something! They really, really liked the Cheerio."

"Do you like Cheerios?" Snow asked, though she already knew the answer.

Emma wrinkled her nose. "They're all right but I like Froot Loops a lot better. Or Cocoa Puffs. Or Lucky Charms, which are really just Cheerios with marshmallows."

In other words, she preferred a breakfast of sugar with a side of grains to give it an air of legitimacy. It was nice to know some things didn't change.

"What do Cheerios taste like?" Killian asked.

"Cardboard," Emma answered.

"Now, Emma, they taste better than cardboard," Snow laughed.

"Not by much."

Thankfully, a smiling Killian did not at all appear turned off by Emma's not-so-glowing recommendation. "I'll give you some to try when we go downstairs," Snow assured him with a smile of her own. "You can decide for yourself if they taste like cardboard."

"They totally do," Emma stage-whispered, once again making both Killian and Snow laugh.

As Snow ate, the children filled her in on their cooking lesson. "David said we did a wonderful job," Killian said, beaming with pride. "He told us to bring this one up to show you what we learned and that he'd make ours while we were up here."

Now Snow was happier than ever that she'd given away her bacon. The poor kids hadn't even eaten yet! Still, the way Charming had lovingly taken them under his wing and let them in on the secret of his perfect omelets touched her more than words could express. "You two did do a wonderful job. This is delicious!"

While the omelet had come out a little messy – the kids hadn't quite gotten a handle on flipping it correctly – it tasted perfect.

Both Emma and Killian beamed, melting Snow's heart.

After Snow finished her breakfast, she lifted the tray off her legs and climbed out of bed. "Come on now. I bet I know two children who are positively famished!"

"I know I am," Emma said with a sage nod. "Everything smells so good that my stomach is all growly."

How Snow didn't wrap her in the hugest hug known to man due to the adorableness of that statement, she would never know.

The kids bounded down the stairs, leaving Snow in their wake. Oh, how on earth could she possibly let them go? They filled her with so much joy, so much love. Watching them blossom under her and Charming's loving care had been nothing short of a miracle. In the couple of days of Emma and Killian being little – hell, not even a full forty-eight hours – the six of them already become a family.

Of course, they were also a family with Emma and Killian as adults, too. Snow wouldn't miss the conflicted feelings that had been coursing through her since Regina knocked on her door two days ago but damn, she would miss these kids.

Henry was setting the table when the three of them entered the kitchen. Charming stood at the stove,e putting the finishing touches on the rest of the family's omelets. Neal sat in his high chair, happily squishing some of the scrambled egg on his tray between his fingers. The baby was also fully dressed because Charming apparently didn't mind extra laundry.

"Yeah, we're apparently having a two-for-one sale on eggs today," Henry smirked when he spotted his grandmother's arched eyebrow.

"That's 'cause we collected two tons of eggs this morning," Killian nodded sagely, making Emma giggle.

Snow wished she could bottle the sound of her baby girl's laughter and keep it for all eternity.

After exchanging good morning kisses with her husband, Snow strode to the cabinet, retrieved the box of Cheerios, and poured a small handful into Killian's waiting palm. The boy popped a Cheerio into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. "It definitely tastes much better than cardboard," he proclaimed after a moment.

"Nuh uh," Emma teased. Her apparent distaste for the cereal didn't stop her from snagging a couple of Os from Killian's hand.

"They're not as good as garlic bread or the cookies we made," Killian allowed, "but they're a fine food for early in the morning."

Just before everyone sat down to eat – or observe her family, in Snow's case – a tiny little voice asked, "Mary Margaret?"

A surprised Snow looked down at the sound of her little girl's tentative voice. "Yes, Emma?"

The girl glanced at Killian, who nodded encouragingly. She took a breath to prepare herself. "We're sorry for falling asleep in your room last night."

And right there, Snow's heart clenched. Children fell asleep in their parents' rooms all the time. How lonely these poor children must have been to believe they needed to apologize for such a natural, everyday thing. She crouched down in front of the children and gripped Emma's hand with her right and Killian's with her left. "Oh, sweetheart, you don't have to be sorry, either of you. It actually made me very happy."

"It did?" Killian asked, his little brow furrowed in a frown.

Snow nodded. "Emma, I don't know if you remember because you were very sleepy but you actually cuddled up with me. I swear to you, I was dancing on air. We love you both and it warmed my heart to know that both of you were comfortable enough with us to relax and let yourselves fall asleep."

To Snow's utter shock, both Emma and Killian wrapped her in a hug at exactly the same time. And as she hugged them back, she found herself fighting tears of joy and of comfort and of love. After taking a moment to consider how the gesture would be received, she placed a kiss on each of their little cheeks. Their arms tightened around her, making her glad she'd taken the leap of faith.

After a moment, she felt Charming and Henry join the hug. Everyone held the embrace and Killian was the first to whisper, "I love you all."

"I love you all, too," Emma added.

"And we love you both," Snow and Charming murmured in unison, tears spilling over now. This was what they'd longed for. This was what they'd hoped and dreamed and desired. This was everything they'd wanted to accomplish while Emma and Killian were little. These two lonely little children now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what it was like to love and to be loved.

An insistent knock at the door interrupted the lovely moment. A stone forming in the pit of her stomach, Snow pulled out of the embrace first, sniffled back her tears, and wiped her eyes. "I'll get the door." She knew exactly who was at the door and what would have to happen next. She was not looking forward to it in the slightest.

Her hunch was proven correct when she pulled the front door open to find Regina standing on the doorstep, a small black velvet bag in her hand. The stone now rolled in her stomach. "You figured it out?"

"We figured it out," Regina said, holding up the bag. The faint clinking of the glass potion bottles inside provided even further confirmation.

More tears leaped into Snow's eyes but these were not tears of joy this time. Their time with the children had come to an end and she was not at all ready to say goodbye.


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note:** You all are absolutely amazing. This is officially my second most reviewed story on this site! Thank you so much for all your kind words so far!

* * *

From the moment Regina knocked on her front door two days ago with a tiny Emma and Killian in tow, Snow had known this moment was coming. She'd been preparing herself for it from the second she laid eyes on the children. If she was prepared for it, she reasoned, it wouldn't hurt as much when the time came to let go of her little daughter and just as little son-in-law.

All her preparing had been for naught. The second she slipped the velvet bag containing the potions from her stepmother's hand, it hit her. A sharp pain in her chest, one so piercing it was hard to believe that the cause was nothing physical.

Snow didn't want to do this. She _couldn't_ do this. It was too much to ask of her. How could she say goodbye to her little girl? The past couple of days had been hard, of course, but they'd also been amazing. Getting to know her little Emma as a child, seeing the wonder in Killian's eyes as he absorbed his new surroundings, making sure the children were comfortable and loved, teaching them, hugging them … it was all so incredible, so wonderful, and she didn't want to let them go.

On the other hand, letting them stay children was not an option. It never had been. The magical accident that had rendered them children needed to be rectified. She missed the adult versions of the children so very much. Henry missed him mom and stepfather, Charming missed his baby girl and son-in-law. Despite the fun of having new little playmates, even Neal seemed to miss the adults. He looked around for his adult big sister every time somebody addressed little Emma by name.

Oh, this was too large an ethical dilemma for eight in the morning.

Her swirling thoughts must have been written across her features because Regina fixed her with a small, understanding smile. "They just need to touch it; it works instantly on skin contact. I can give it to them, if you'd like."

Though Snow appreciated the offer, she shook her head. "No, we should be the ones to do this. You've done more than your share already. Thank you for working so hard to fix this for us."

"You're welcome."

"Do you want to come in, at least? This morning's cooking lesson was omelets and I'm sure the kids would leap at the chance to make you one. It more than likely wouldn't be pretty but it'd taste great."

A tiny chuckle escaped Regina's lips. "Thank you for the offer but no. This last morning with them should be yours. Plus, I don't imagine you're going to want to give them that potion with an audience."

No, she most certainly did not. Hell, she didn't want to do it at all.

"Just take your time and let me know when they're back to themselves," Regina continued. Her gentle tone reminded Snow so much of the young woman who had saved her from a runaway horse all those long years ago, the young woman Regina had been before her life had fallen apart. "Before you change them back, though, make sure you've taken plenty of pictures."

At that, Snow gave her a little smile. "I've already taken enough pictures to fill an album or two."

That wasn't an exaggeration; Snow had surreptitiously used her phone to snap pictures during art period and cooking lessons and even a few of everyone piled together on her bed during the movie. She'd even taken a video of Emma and Neal playing peekaboo the previous night, relishing the sound of their shared laughter so much that she'd felt the need to capture it on camera.

"Somehow I don't doubt it," Regina smirked.

After bidding Regina goodbye and making sure she'd gotten in her car and taken off all right, Snow eased the door closed. For a long beat, she simply stood facing the door and tried to let her emotions settle. The heavy omelet now roiled in her stomach at the thought of walking back into the kitchen and slipping the children the potion. They were her babies and she didn't want to lose them.

Hell, how was she even going to give it to them? She certainly couldn't ask Emma to touch a magic potion. Although Killian knew magic was real, she couldn't explain to him what the potion would do.

Blinking back tears, she slipped the two bottles from the velvet bag. The bottles were small, bulbous little things with thin necks. Corks sealed a colorless liquid inside. Snow removed the cork from one of the bottles and took a quick sniff.

Nothing. Clearly Regina had taken the need for secrecy into consideration.

Snow took a deep breath to gather her emotions and turned away from the door, intent on walking back into the kitchen at least looking like there was nothing wrong. Her resolve shattered the moment she saw Charming walking towards her, his concern evident in the furrow of his brow. Without a word, he gathered her into his arms and simply held her.

"I figured that was Regina at the door," he murmured after a long moment.

"It was," she answered, sniffling back the rest of her tears. She pulled out of his embrace and held up the two potion bottles as proof. "They have to touch it. Oh, Charming, how are we going to do this?"

"Well, I suppose we could dump it over their heads, which would probably raise a few questions but if the potion does its job, the questions won't matter."

Despite her swirling emotion, Snow let out a soft chuckle. That wasn't at all what she'd meant. The tender smile on Charming's face told her he had purposely misconstrued her sentence to make her laugh.

"We're going to do this the way we do everything, Snow."

"Together," she nodded.

"Exactly. They're eating their breakfast now but afterward we can ask them to dry the dishes. You think sprinkling the potion on each dish towel will do it?"

Snow gave him a halfhearted shrug. "That sounds good. I just don't like that we have to be so sneaky about it. It feels like we're lying to them."

"I don't like it, either," Charming agreed, "but it's our only option, Snow. You know that. We can't tell them about the potion without either confusing the hell out of them or destroying the trust we've built with them. I know you don't want their last moments as children to be filled with confusion and what they would take as a betrayal."

"Of course I don't." Snow heaved a sigh. "It's just hard all around."

Charming pulled her into another hug. "Yes, it is."

The two of them took another moment to get their emotions under control. Releasing a heavy breath, Snow tucked the potion bottles into the front pockets of her jeans. Her long sweater helped to hide the bulk and finally, the parents were ready to join the children in the kitchen.

Henry's empty plate didn't surprise Snow at all. At fourteen, he wolfed everything down at the speed of light. His attention appeared divided between Neal, who was still happily playing with his food and had somehow gotten scrambled egg in his hair, and Emma and Killian, who were working their way through their omelets.

"Who was at the door, Mary Margaret?" Emma asked around a mouthful of egg.

Part of Snow wanted to tell her it had been a sales call – an attempt to delay the inevitable in some small way – but she had to give her baby the truth. "Regina came by to drop something off."

Henry put two and two together and figured out what exactly Regina had dropped off. Sudden conflict shadowed his eyes, conflict that was surely mirrored in Snow's and Charming's. He, too, didn't want to give up the children but also could not wait to have the adults back.

"And she didn't stay for breakfast?"

It was a testament to how far Regina and Emma had come in the past couple of days that Emma seemed vaguely hurt that she hadn't at least stopped in and said hello. "No, sweetheart, she couldn't stay. She wishes she could have, though."

It was sort of the truth.

Thankfully, Emma didn't question it any further.

Sensing that his grandparents wanted to slip the children the potion without an audience, Henry pushed himself up from the table and lifted Neal out of his high chair. "Oh, squirt, you're a mess! You even have egg in your hair, for crying out loud."

Killian giggled. "He is very messy."

"Hey," Emma cried, "I call him squirt, too!"

Since Henry couldn't tell his little mom that he'd actually picked up the nickname from her, he smiled at her. "Well, if two people gave him the same nickname, that must mean it's perfect!"

The beaming grin that Emma gave him in response was absolutely precious. Oh, Snow did not at all want to let her go.

Since the children were mostly done, Snow and Charming dropped soft kisses on the tops of their heads and headed over to the sink. While Snow started washing the dishes, Charming dribbled each bottle of potion onto a dishtowel.

Another sharp pain stabbed through Snow's chest. It was done. All they were waiting for now was the children to finish eating.

Soon enough, they both stood up from the table with their plates, glasses, and silverware in hand. Snow noted with bittersweet amusement that Emma had only drunk half her milk. As they dropped their dishes off, Killian asked, "Would you like assistance with the dishes?"

The propriety of the question was absolutely adorable. She glanced up at Charming, who was biting back a grin, before returning her attention to the children. "We would love assistance. But first, we just want to say again how much we love both of you."

It happened so fast. Emma ran at Charming and Killian ran at Snow, each child wrapping each adult in a tight hug. Charming and Snow both crouched down so that the hug could be shared among the four of them. "We love you, too," Emma murmured.

Tears pricked at Snow's eyes, tears of both joy and sadness, of happiness and heartache. Saying goodbye to the children hurt like hell but saying hello to the adults was going to be wonderful beyond words.

Emma was the one who broke the hug that time, a sheepish flush on her cheeks. "All right, enough stalling," Charming said, pitching his voice to a teasing tone that he didn't really feel. "There are dishes that need to be dried, Miss Emma and Sir Killian, and I will not have you shirking your duties any longer."

Giggling, the children each grabbed a dishtowel at the same time. The second their hands touched the terrycloth, a billow of white smoke enveloped them. When the smoke cleared, ten-year-old Emma and Killian were gone and bewildered adult Emma and Killian had taken their place.

Emma blinked dazedly a couple of times before looking from Killian to Charming to Snow. "Mom? Dad? What happened?"

Oh gods. Did she not remember? Since Killian appeared just as perplexed as Emma did, Snow couldn't tell by his expression, either.

Snow glanced up at Charming, whose obvious dread mirrored her own.

Oh no. Oh _no_. Memory loss was the side effect Regina and Zelena had tried to weed out! They'd _wanted_ Emma and Killian to remember. All that work Snow and Charming had done, all that progress everyone had made, all the love the children had experienced … was it all for naught?

And then Emma said something that stopped Snow's panic in its tracks. "I wasn't dreaming, was I?"

"You weren't dreaming what?" Charming asked, his tone cautious.

"Were we … children?" Killian asked.

They did remember! Oh, thank heavens!

"You were _adorable_ children," Snow confirmed, tears welling in her eyes as she cupped Emma's cheek in her palm.

"And you took care of us," Emma breathed.

"Yes, we did," Snow affirmed.

"You took care of us no questions asked."

"Of course we did. You're our family."

Tears welled in Emma's eyes without warning. In response, Snow gathered her little girl in her arms and held on tight. "It's all right, sweetheart," she murmured, comforting her adult baby the same way she had her ten-year-old baby. "Let it out."

"I didn't have a sense of family at that age," Emma admitted through a couple of sniffles. "Thank you for giving that to me."

"I thank you as well," Killian spoke up, a hitch in his throat. "You both made a frightened little boy feel safe and loved."

Snow held Emma in the hug a beat longer, only letting go when Emma fidgeted in her grip. Knowing what was coming now, Snow just watched as Emma pulled away, sniffled, wiped her face, and, in an effort to lighten the moment, asked, "I just have one question: how the hell did we end up spending two days as ten-year-olds?"


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note:** You guys have been absolutely amazing! Thank you for coming along for the ride for this little tale of mine. (*eyes word count*, little, sure) and thank you so much for all your lovely comments and words of encouragement. I feel like I say this all the time but seriously, you guys are the best readers ever.

* * *

All Emma Swan had wanted to do was give her parents a simple anniversary gift.

Okay, so maybe her home movie idea hadn't exactly been _simple –_ more like next to impossible, as it turned out. But still, in all her imaginings of worst case scenarios, some minor bouts of irritation between her and Regina were the extent of it. The two of them had a rather tenuous working relationship. Frustrations easily built between them but they just as easily let said frustrations go enough to push forward with the project.

Never in a million years had Emma thought that a potion could go so horribly wrong. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined the potion blowing up in her face, accidentally transforming her husband and herself into small children. One wrong ingredient and a simple memory extraction had become their own personal magical DeLorean!

Emma was _mortified_.

Neither she nor Killian remembered the potion going poof. As far as they were concerned, one minute they were adults and the next they were rugrats. Which was all well and good but that also meant Emma had no idea what they'd done wrong. Hopefully Regina knew because spending two days as a ten-year-old was not a mistake Emma intended on repeating any time soon, thank you very much.

"And Regina never said what the wrong ingredient was?" Killian was asking her parents.

"No, she didn't," Snow replied.

"And we didn't ask because we kind of had bigger things going on," David added, a teasing lilt in his voice. "Well, littler things. You know what I mean."

Emma gave him a sheepish smile. Yeah, she did know what he meant. She couldn't even imagine how they must have felt to be presented with a couple of ten-year-olds in place of two grown adults.

Before anyone could say anything further, what sounded like a herd of elephants bounded down the stairs. Said herd revealed itself a moment later to be Henry, holding a freshly changed baby Neal, and Wilby, who trotted along at the kid's side. The second Henry's gaze landed on Emma and Killian, a grin broke out on his face and he ran at them full force.

In less than a second, savior and pirate found themselves crushed in a hug with a teenager, a baby, and a dog. "Oh, I'm so glad you're back!" Henry exclaimed, his voice choked with emotion. "I mean, don't get me wrong. You guys were really fun when you were little but I missed you so much."

"We missed you, too, lad," Killian murmured into his hair. "Thank you for being such a wonderful playmate."

Neal babbled at a frantic pace, waving his fingers through Emma's hair and giving little squeals of delight. The memory of playing with him and making him laugh the day before hit Emma square in the chest. Her tiny baby brother had loved her in her kid form and he loved her now. "And we missed you, too, squirt," Emma said around the lump in her throat as she lifted her brother from her kid's arms.

Her parents got a loving chuckle out of that one.

But it was Wilby – sweet, loyal Wilby who'd clung to her side the entire time she was little – happily pawing at her legs that made Emma lose it.

The tears seemed to arise from every emotion. Joy that she'd finally found people who would stick by her. Anger at those in her life who hadn't. Pure, unadulterated love for her family. Sorrow for the lonely little girl she'd once been. Happiness that the lonely little girl had finally gotten a taste of what she should have had. Sympathy for the frightened little boy Killian was. Delight that he now had some happy childhood memories, too. Pride for the way her entire family had come together to include him.

And Killian … the memories came back to her now, the way the two of them were drawn to each other even as children. The way she protected him and the way he took care of her. The way they comforted each other and encouraged each other.

Even as children, they shared True Love.

The emotions were far too much for someone who'd been ten years old a minute ago.

"Oh, sweetheart," Snow murmured as she and David joined the group hug. Another memory pushed its way to the surface: Emma telling her parents that she liked their pet names for her. Kiddo from David and sweetheart from Mary Margaret were the first pet names ten-year-old Emma could remember being called. She'd adored the idea that these two people cared about her enough to have special names for her.

The six of them plus Wilby stayed in the hug, sharing love and comfort, until Emma's tears stopped falling. "I'm sorry," she said sheepishly when everyone separated, sniffling back the last of their tears. "I've got kid emotion and adult emotion running through me at the same time and I guess I'm still a little overwhelmed."

"You don't have to apologize, kiddo," David said around the tremor in his own voice. He smiled gently, drying Emma's cheeks with the sides of his thumbs. "It's perfectly all right."

Once emotions had settled, Henry asked, "So you do remember everything, right? How do the memories feel to you?"

Sensing that Emma wasn't quite up to answering just yet, Killian took up the gauntlet. "Sometimes they feel like they were only yesterday – because, well, they were – but other times they feel like they were ages ago."

Emma nodded in agreement. "It's weird. They're vivid because they just happened but they also have a faded edge to them as if they'd happened when I was really ten."

"Aye. So yes, lad, we do remember and we can't thank you all enough for taking such good care of us."

"It was our pleasure," Snow assured them. "Thank you for giving us such a wonderful opportunity."

Emotion threatened to overtake Emma again so she did what she did best: deflected it with a joke. "So what you're saying is we need to make magical screw-ups more often."

Just as she'd hoped, everyone laughed. "If more magical oopses mean we get more _Mario Kart_ , then yeah, you do," a cheeky Henry replied.

Though the mood in the room had lightened, Emma still felt the need to go splash some cool water on her face. She excused herself to do just that and headed upstairs to the bathroom. On her way down the hall, she passed the room she and Killian had stayed in, the one that still looked like the loft in the tiny apartment she'd shared with her family.

She stood at the door a moment, taking in the detritus of life with children. A pair of socks lay on the floor next to Emma's bed and books covered Killian's nightstand. The mini planetarium Henry had given them still sat on the bed where Killian had slept. The dresser drawers were filled with tiny clothes.

It amazed her how quickly her ten-year-old self had felt comfortable in this room. She couldn't possibly have recognized the furniture but on some level, had she known that she'd belonged here?

"Emma? Are you all right?"

Emma jumped at the sound of her mother's voice. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, turning around to face Snow.

Snow gave her such a knowing, _motherly_ look that Emma's heart caught in her chest. "No, you're not. What's going on?"

"No, I really am. I was just thinking … this room, well, the apartment with you, it's the first home I ever had." The touched sparkle in her mother's eye gave her the courage to continue. "And now it's the first home little me remembers, too."

Yep, that totally did it. Tears welled in Snow's eyes as she wrapped her little girl in a hug. "I'm so glad we got the chance to know you."

"I'm glad I got the chance to know you," Emma murmured. "And I'm sorry you had to let me go."

Snow pulled out of the hug and held Emma at arm's length. Her love was etched on her face and her voice was strong and sure. "I'm not. You, Emma Swan, are my baby. You always will be, no matter how old you are."

At that, Emma felt another rush of emotion: pride and comfort and joy at being somebody's baby.

Once their emotions were back under control, Snow and Emma headed back downstairs. Emma met Killian's gaze across the living room and he instantly gravitated towards her. "You all right, love?" he murmured, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah," she replied as she leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder. "Are you?"

"Aye. Your family gave me the chance to know what being in a family felt like. Those are memories I will treasure for the rest of my days."

That they were.

"And I would just like to point out," Killian continued, shifting his voice to reflect a gentle teasing, "that even though we didn't know each other at all, we still made quite the team."

"Yeah, we did, didn't we?" Emma mused. "We must have felt it even then, our True Love. We were just too young to recognize it for what it was."

Killian beamed at her before pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

The kitchen was finally clean and David emerged into the living room. "I don't know about anyone else but we've got all day and I don't feel like going anywhere. Who's up for another day of hanging out?"

"Does that mean more _Mario Kart_?" Henry asked, making everyone chuckle.

"I'm up for it if you are, kid," Emma shrugged.

Everyone was cool with that. After all the togetherness of the past couple of days, none of them wanted to give it up.

Emma did think, though, that she probably should thank Regina and Zelena for their hard work in fixing her little screw-up. Regina had dropped off the stuff Emma and Killian had left in the vault when she'd dropped off the books to Henry the day before so while Henry set up the video game, Emma went off in search of her phone.

Her unread messages were plentiful but one in particular from Zelena stood out: it was a picture of her and Killian, ten years old and curled up practically on top of each other, sound asleep in a pile of blankets. "All right, what the hell is this?" she asked, holding her phone out for everyone to see.

Snow, David, and Henry all giggled. "Zelena did say she sent it to you," David said. "Guess she wasn't kidding."

"Aww, we look adorable," Killian murmured. While he was mostly teasing his wife, the tenderness of his tone indicated the truth of his words.

"We do but really?" Emma huffed. "Did we really need pictorial evidence of my magical oops?"

"Then I suppose I shouldn't tell you about the pictures I managed to take on my phone, either," Snow laughed.

"Ooh, you have more?" Henry asked, oblivious to the furious blush coloring his mother's cheeks. "I want to see!"

Of course, Snow couldn't help but grab her phone and show off her photos.

Though she was thoroughly mortified, Emma crowded in with everyone to flick through her mother's pictures. And as candid photo after candid photo of video games and art projects and children playing together went by, she was struck by how relaxed and happy she and Killian seemed. The overwhelming love the family shared was evident in every frame.

So, okay, maybe she did have to make magical screw-ups more often. In trying to give her parents a gift, it turned out that Emma and Killian had given everyone a gift. Her parents had gotten to know the little girl they should have known while the lost little boy and the lost little girl had finally found what every child should have: the love of a family.


End file.
